


A Twist to the Story

by Aerilon452



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: A/U, F/M, Season 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:14:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 27,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28255257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aerilon452/pseuds/Aerilon452
Summary: Different choices change the way fate unfolds. Belle makes a choice that alters the course of her life forever.
Relationships: Belle & Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Belle/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold
Comments: 26
Kudos: 36





	1. Chapter 1

In the back of the pawn shop, Rumplestiltskin stood facing the love of his life, Belle. The last thing he remembered was dying with his father. He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly, having a sense she wanted him to hug her. Being back made no sense. He had died. How was he resurrected? Where was his dagger? For the moment, he could let those two questions remain answerless. He was holding the woman he loved. Everything else paled in comparison to her.

Belle sighed deeply and with great relief. Her last memory of Rumple was of his death. He died to save her and his son. Now, something catastrophic had happened, he was back, and they were reunited in Storybrooke. All that mattered to her was being in his embrace. She had her arms draped over his shoulders, her hands cupping the back of his head. For long drawn-out seconds, all they did was breathe together.

Their moment of peace was interrupted by the jingling of the little bell above the pawn shop door. “GOLD!”

Belle pulled back. “Regina,” she whispered. Why did they have to be interrupted?

“They can’t know I’m here, not yet. Not until we know how,” Rumple stated as he brought his hands up to cup her face, his thumbs stroking her cheeks gently. He felt Belle agree with him. It was a strange sensation – one he was careful to keep off of his face.

“I’ll get rid of them,” Belle responded quietly. Reluctantly, she left him to his own devices.

********

Out in the front of the shop, Regina, Snow, Charming, Emma, and the One-Handed Wonder stood about uneasily. “Show yourself, Gold! We know you did this, you twisted little imp!” The Evil Queen was not in the mood to be played by her former teacher. She was already in a foul humor after having reunited with Henry – who had no idea who she was.

Belle immerged from behind curtain that partitioned the front of the shop from the back where Rumple often liked to work. “He’s not here,” she said with a trace of a bite in her voice. The whole room stared at her. She had caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror – shoulder length hair, a dark navy-blue three-piece suit complete with a sky-blue silk tie and matching pocket square. Heels added a few inches to her overall height. She walked with a confidence she had only ever witnessed from Rumplestiltskin.

“Belle…?” Emma was at a loss for words.

“Hello, Emma,” Belle replied in a neutral fashion.

“What happened to you?” Emma asked, motioning up and down at the woman standing before her. Last time she saw Belle, the young woman was broken hearted over the loss of Gold.

“I don’t know. I woke up this morning at home, warm in my bed… alone,” Belle answered honestly with sadness showing in her eyes. She glanced at every face, noticing how wary of her they were now. The only one to hold her gaze was Regina – the Queen ever assessing, searching for a weakness to exploit. Tapping into a strength of resolve she hadn’t remembered having before, she fixed a stern look on her face and said, “I’m going to have to ask all of you to leave.”

“Is Gold here?” Snow asked, compassion filling her voice.

Belle shook her head. “No. I came here hoping to find him, but he’s not here. I’d like you to leave, now… please.” She made an effort to appear as if she were capable of breaking down into tears at any moment. No one wanted to be around a mourning woman. They didn’t know what to do.

“All right, we’ll leave,” Regina said, shocking the group.

Belle waited until they all filed out. Then, instinctually, with a flick of her wrist, the doors locked, and the blinds were closed. She wanted Rumple and in the next second, he was there with her, his arms coming around her from behind. “How do I have magic?” she asked, her voice shaking for real.

“We’ll figure it out, sweetheart,” Rumple promised, placing a soft kiss to the side of her neck. He knew Belle’s feelings regarding magic. The longer it took to find answers… Rumple didn’t want to think about it. “In the meantime, you should learn how to control your new power.”

“Do I?” Belle asked, lowering her head.

“It’s the only safe way,” Rumple responded. Pulling back, he took her hand, tugging lightly, getting her to follow him to the back.

Belle wanted to argue, to say she didn’t need the training, but even she knew better than that. She had locked the door and closed the blinds before she even knew what she was doing. What would she do next time on a whim? Belle walked through the curtain and into the back room.

**CHARMING LOFT:**

“She’s lying,” Regina stated, her hands on her hips, and certainty in her voice.

Snow White on the couch, propped up with pillows, her hands resting over her swollen belly. “Regina, we don’t know that. She’s still mourning. It’s got to be worse knowing a year has gone by that no one can remember.”

“Oh, I know she’s lying,” Regina replied heatedly. “Since when has that little bookworm shown such coldness? Never!”

“You don’t know what the last year of her life has been like,” Emma rationalized. “Her change could be a result of living without Mr. Gold.”

Regina rolled her eyes but conceded the argument. They had more immediate problems – breaking the new curse and figuring out who cast it. For the time being, she wasn’t going to worry about the pesky little maid’s peculiar behavior. There was a bigger witch to fry and Regina was saving all of her rage for that green-faced hobgoblin.

**GOLD’S SHOP:**

Belle sighed in frustration. She unbuttoned her suit jacket, tossing it over on the cot. “I’m tired of levitating books in some sort of ridiculous juggling act,” she snapped, her anger rising. She was feeling frustrated with all the little lessons Rumple had given her in the span of a few hours.

“Belle, calm down…”

“No!” Belle shouted, power lashing out, sending him flying back against the wall. Horror washed away the anger and the power died down. “I’m sorry…” she apologized and covered her mouth with her hands.

Rumple stood up, shook off the magical blow, and said softly, “It’s okay. I’ve been hurled against a wall before.” He tried to laugh it off, but Belle was truly disturbed by what she had just done. Going to her, he placed his hands on her shoulders, squeezing gently. “You were doing well before you let your temper get the better of you.”

“I don’t know why this is making me feel frustrated,” Belle confessed. She lowered her head to his shoulder, groaning lightly. The last year of her life was a huge blank space. Maybe that was where all the annoyance was coming from. Even so, she couldn’t reconcile that with having magic. What could have forced her to such desperate measures?

“How about you use your magic to take us home?” Rumple suggested lightly. “You’ve watched me do it plenty of times,” he added encouragingly.

Belle looked at him and nodded. Whether she liked it or not, she now had magic and she had to use it or run the risk of it getting out of control. It was like any muscle in her body, it had to be flexed from time to time. “Okay,” she said, nodding in agreement. She closed her eyes, picturing the master bedroom, pictured both of them standing in that room. Then, in a motion she’d seen from him a hundred times, she threw up her hand. She felt the warm rush of magic taking them from the pawn shop.

Rumple kept his eyes open, seeing the whirlwind of light blue smoke envelope them. Next thing he knew, they were in their bedroom, at the manor house. “You did wonderfully well,” he said softly, praising her skill again. She sagged against him, tuckered out finally. That was the outcome he was hoping for. He wanted to wear her out so she would sleep. Snapping his fingers, he exchanged her suit – which he found fetching on her – for a simple spaghetti strap nightgown of gold. He lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed. Settling her beneath the covers, he took a seat next to her and held her hand in between his.

*******

Night had fallen with Belle deep in an exhaustion induced sleep. Rumple felt he could leave her side for a little while. He was thankful to be alive, to be back with Belle, but one thing was troubling him. His dagger. Systematically, he searched the house for it, but found nothing. The longer he went without it in his possession, the more likely someone else would get ahold of it and use it to control him. That he couldn’t allow.

Again, Rumplestiltskin searched every nook and cranny of his home, every tiny little hiding spot he would’ve secreted the dagger into. Nothing. He could go back to the shop, but even as he moved his hand to transport himself there, he stopped. The desire he had to stay with Belle was greater than his need to find the dagger. Compelled up the stairs, he returned to the bedroom where he changed from his suit into pajama’s and crawled into bed behind her. He curled around her, protectively taking her in his arms, making sure his back was to the door.

**MORNING:**

After the events of yesterday, Belle hadn’t thought she would wake well rested. Sleeping in Rumple’s arms was definitely a curative for what ailed her – using magic. In the early morning stillness, she climbed out of bed and went into the adjoining bathroom. She had just slipped the thin straps of her night gown down her arms when something caught her attention in the mirror. “Rumple, come here!”

Yanked from sleep, Rumple scrambled out of bed, rushing to the bathroom. A realization struck him as his eyes landed on her side. “Belle…”

“I think I found your dagger,” Belle interrupted. She turned to the mirror seeing the dagger along her side, spanning the length of her ribs. “How did this happen?” The tattoo was too real, the detail too pronounced. She touched the handle feeling skin, and yet, she also felt the leather hilt of the blade. What had happened in their missing year?

Rumple turned Belle away from the mirror, pulling her into his arms. “I don’t know, sweetheart,” he whispered, running his hand up and down her back. It was the truth. “At least I know it’s safe with you,” he said without an ounce of doubt. Belle was the one person he could trust not abuse the power of the dagger and command him to do terrible things for her own ends. She didn’t have a vengeful bone in her body – nor did she have a black heart.

“Is there a way to take it out?” Belle asked trying not to give into panic and desperation.

“I don’t think we should try,” Rumple said, earning him a startled look from Belle. “Right now, it’s safe with you…”

“In me…” Belle cut in.

Rumple changed tactics as he pulled the straps of her shift back up her shoulders, hiding the sight of his dagger. “Our memories of the last year are gone until this curse breaks. I don’t think it’s a good idea to try and remove my dagger from you until we know how it bonded with you in the first place.”

“You think the dagger did this?” Belle asked. “Rumple, I don’t want to be responsible for this, for someone figuring it out that I have the only thing that can control you. I’d be more of a target than I already am.”

“I won’t let that happen,” Rumple stated.

“How? You won’t tell anyone you’re alive.…” Belle pointed out.

“All right, a compromise then,” Rumple suggested. “We tell those…heroes… that I’m back in the land of the living, but we don’t tell them we know where my dagger is. Knowing them the way I do; they’d find some way to justify taking it out of you without understanding how it got in there in the first place and it would do harm to you.”

“They wouldn’t do that,” Belle denied adamantly.

“Really? I can name two of them off the top of my head who wouldn’t blink at hurting you to control me,” Rumple replied testily.

Belle looked away, not letting him see that she knew he was right. So, instead, she agreed to the compromise. “Okay, we tell them you’re alive and let them think what they want.” Even as she said those words, her hand rested over her heart. “Do you think… my heart… has turned black?” she asked, her breathing growing ragged as the panic tried to set in again.

“I could check if you want, but it will hurt a great deal,” Rumple offered hoping beyond hope that she wouldn’t accept.

Belle detested the thought of having her heart ripped out, but she had to know if it had started to turn black because of her very personal possession of the Dark One’s dagger. Gripping his shoulders with shaky hands, she nodded, and then took a deep breath in preparation.

Rumple saw her fear. Leaning in, he kissed her brow. “Keep your eyes on me, don’t look down,” he said softly. When he was gazing into her impossible blue depths, his hand magically entered her chest, is fingers curling around her heart, so he could pull it out.

Belle cried out and then she got her second horrendous shock of the morning. Her heart was still red, but it was only half of what it should be. “I’m missing half a heart as well…” She let out a shaky breath. Had she given up half of her heart in some dark trade for power and possession of the dagger? That didn’t sound like her. Unless she did it to save Rumple. The dagger was not only a means to transfer the curse from one person to another through death, but it also made the Dark One a slave to anyone who wielded the dagger. Perhaps she had made a deal with a darker force than Rumple to keep him from being controlled by anyone.

“It may be only half, but it’s not turning black. It’s still red and full of love, of goodness,” Rumple said quickly, hoping she believed him. She looked at it, at him, and then down at her half of heart again. It pulsed with life. While she was watching it, he returned it to the protection of her chest and the magic that flowed through her now.

Belle breathed easier this time. Rumple was right; her heart wasn’t black. On a hunch she asked, “What about yours?”

“Still black as night, dearie,” Rumple replied automatically.

“Are you sure?” Belle countered.

Suddenly, no, Rumple wasn’t completely sure. His dagger being inside Belle could explain the deeper sense he had of her – her needs and emotions. Or it could be…? Pain blossomed in his chest. Looking down, he saw Belle’s hand ripping out his heart. He expected to see the blackened mass with intermittent sparks of life. Instead, his heart was half black and half red. The missing half of Belle’s heart. Every answer they gained led to more questions.

Belle watched at he was about to split his heart in half. She stopped him at the last second, covering his hands with hers, shaking her head. “Don’t. There must be a reason I gave you half of my heart. It’s probably the same reason I’ve bonded with the dagger.”

“Unfortunately, we don’t know what that it is. I hate not knowing,” Rumple grumbled, putting his heart back.

“So, I take personal possession of the dagger, you wind up with half of my heart, and half of yours is missing,” Belle stated, trying to find a connection between all three things. “It doesn’t add up,” she mumbled, stepping away from him to pace while she continued to think. In the library of the Dark Castle, she would spend days reading while he was away on business. More than a few of the books were spell books. She couldn’t recall a single incantation that would require two halves of a heart being joined.

Rumple caught her halfway through her next pacing pass. “We solve one problem at a time, and we keep this information between us – the dagger, your heart and mine. Right now, we focus on getting dressed and going to confess to the Charming’s that I’m alive. I think that’s all about we can handle today.”

“Knowledge is power, right?” Belle asked with a tiny smirk. The more information they had, the quicker they could piece things together and find the answers they were looking for. Before, she might have been inclined to share everything, but now the stakes were higher.

Rumple cupped Belle’s face, nodding. “Yes, knowledge is power, and we’ll need all of it we can get if we’re going to figure this out together.”

“Together,” Belle replied.

**CHARMING LOFT:**

David had never felt so cramp as it did this morning. Regina was pacing, mumbling to herself. Hook was leaning against a wall periodically watching Emma, and then looking away when he would get caught. Snow was resting in a chair trying to stay put when he knew she wanted nothing more than to help.

_*knocking*_

Everyone in the loft stopped what they were doing to look at the door. David went to check who it was through the peep hole and then opened up. “Belle,” he said cheerfully. “What brings you by?”

Belle stepped aside as Rumplestiltskin revealed himself. She was trying to look apologetic and contrite when really, she was happy. Rumple was back with her. She could start to let go of the sadness that had been inside her.

Everyone in the apartment had their own reactions – ranging from shock to anger.

“You slippery son of a bitch!” Regina shouted taking a step closer to Gold.

“Nice to see you too, Regina,” Gold said sarcastically. He glanced at David, silently asking if he was permitted to enter. While he waited for the invitation to be extended, he held his hand out to Belle. He knew she needed to feel some connection to him.

Belle didn’t hesitate. She took Rumple’s hand, immediately having a sense of calm and a rush of power course through her. They shared a look, acknowledging that they felt what had happened. When they were touching, they were a magical conduit that made the other stronger.

Regina hadn’t taken her eyes off the pair, seeing the change in their body language. There was an ease between them that had been there a moment ago. “Why the hell aren’t you dead?” she asked, drawing their attention. “What?” she snapped

David shot Regina a scolding glance and then motioned for Rumplestiltskin and Belle to come inside. “Perhaps not the question to ask while the door is wide open,” he remarked.

Regina only rolled her eyes – for the tenth time that morning.

Belle pushed the door closed and then said, “I’m sorry I lied yesterday.” It was better to apologize up front, getting it out of the way. She hoped it would deter the others from asking her about the changes they noticed – the short hair, the suit. Those she didn’t have answers for.

“I asked her not to say anything,” Rumple added, hoping to redirect the potential flood of questions his way rather than have them bombard Belle. “We are probably like the rest of you – clueless as to what’s going on.”

“You actually died, that happened, right?” Emma asked, careful not to look at Belle.

“Yes, I willingly gave my life for my son and for Belle,” Rumple replied honestly. He lifted Belle’s hand, placing a small kiss to the back while he held her gaze.

“Where’s Neal? If we’re all here, he has to be too?” Snow inquired.

“We haven’t found him yet,” Belle answered this time.

“He could be unconscious somewhere. Charming spent twenty-eight years of the curse in a coma,” Snow responded, glancing at her husband. He came to her, sitting beside her, holding her hand.

Hook leaned against one of the posts in the apartment, watching the crocodile with Belle. He seemed the same as ever – arrogance, swagger, and calculating gaze taking in everything around him. Belle on the other hand. She was the most changed out of all of them. When they returned to the Enchanted Forest, she had been trying to hold herself together in the wake of the crocodile’s death. He had lost track of her and Baelfire during the trek to a safe haven. One night, they all made camp, and in the morning, they were missing two members of their troupe. Whatever she and Bae had gotten into had changed her a great deal. Now, she stood tall, her face calm and composed, with a trace of her usual softness, but it all masked the same careful calculation that he saw in the crocodile’s eyes. Unlike the others in the room, Hook had his memories. He left the enchanted forest before the curse hit, so he could go after Emma, give her a potion to restore her memories and bring her back to Storybrooke. “If you need help looking for Baelfire, I offer my services,” he offered.

Before, Rumple would have categorically said ‘No way in hell’. Having the double duty of solving a mystery and training Belle to use her magic split his attention as it was. Beside him, he felt Belle gearing up to answer for him. Squeezing her hand, quietly imploring her to trust him, he replied, “Start at the hospital, if you would, Captain.” If anything, the search would keep Hook away from Belle and away from the knowledge that she had magic now. 

“I’ll get right on it, mate,” Hook responded and made his way towards the door. If he wasn’t in direct sight of the Dark One, then he could snoop around while operating under the guise of looking for Baelfire.

When the door shut, Belle surprised the room by asking, “How long have we all been back? My memories only extend to yesterday morning.” She glanced at Rumple and nodded, confirming that his memories started there – picking up from the moment of his death.

“We’ve been here nearly a week, maybe two,” Regina informed them. “If you were there when the curse was cast, you would’ve arrived with the rest of us. Of course, Rumplestiltskin might have tried to delay the inevitable.”

“Might’ve done,” Rumple said, “but we won’t know, now will we? Someone has to break this new curse and restore all of our memories.”

“There’s a new witch in town. She has green skin…”

“And penchant for gloating,” Rumple guessed – semi – the rest.

“How did you know?” Regina snapped.

“I’ve heard whispers of her in my travels. I heard she’s from Oz,” Rumple replied lying through his teeth.

Belle felt her conscious mind slipping back into the black of her memories. Something was trying to come into the light, to fill in a small part of the puzzle. The sound of Regina and Rumple arguing, Charming and Emma trying to referee faded away into a distant hum of noise. In the next instant she was back in the Enchanted Forest, she was with Neal….

*******

_“We’re getting closer, I think,” Belle said as she and Baelfire trekked through the freshly fallen snow. Pushing through the trees, they came to the clearing where the vault should have been._

_Neal moved out into the open, going to the center where he fell to his knees and started moving the snow out of the way. Soon enough the vault was revealed. “It’s here!” he shouted, looking at Belle over his shoulder. She had the key in her hand and had a look he knew all too well. Belle was determined to bring back the Dark One. He wouldn’t… no couldn’t let her do that. Rumplestiltskin was his father. Baelfire would be the one to do it. Getting up, he took the key from her without a word, but there was an understanding between them._

_Belle took Bae’s wrist, stopping him momentarily. He nodded, not moving another inch towards the vault. She removed the candelabra from her bag, setting it on the nearest boulder where she lit the candles, bringing Lumiere back to life. “We’re here. We found it. Now what?”_

_“Take the key and put it into the center lock. That will open the vault and bring back the Dark One,” Lumiere informed them._

_“Are you certain?” Belle asked. She had this niggling sense that their magical helper wasn’t telling them everything he knew._

_“Of course! I spent two hundred years in Rumplestiltskin’s library witnessing all manner of dark magic!” Lumiere exclaimed._

_Belle crossed her arms over her chest. “Liar,” she stated. “Rumple built that library for me just before the curse. It’s been there less than thirty years.”_

_“You must be mistaken,” Lumiere sputtered._

_“I’m not. I remember the day he gave it to me,” Belle responded. “You were never there. The next time you speak, it had better be the truth, or else…”_

_“We’ll leave you here under a snow drift,” Neal cut in._

_Lumiere had the good sense to look ashamed. “It was not the Dark One that cursed me to this pathetic form but the Wicked Witch of the West.”_

_“The Wicked Witch?” Belle repeated as a question. “Why would she want us to come here?”_

_“So you can bring him back. She wants to control him with his dagger.”_

_“No,” Belle said shaking her head. “I won’t let that happen. Neal, we need to…”_

_“Ahh!” Neal cried out. He had put the key in the lock. As the vault started to heat up, the top of the eye burned his hand._

_“Neal!” Belle shouted, rushing over to him. He fell back into her arms, gripping his chest as the vault started to open. Black liquid filled the void, forming into the shape of a man. “Rumple!” she called out, holding on to Neal tighter._

_Rumplestiltskin heard Belle’s voice through the blackness. Opening his eyes, he saw her and his son. “Belle,” he said her name. It felt good to have it roll off his tongue again. Then his eyes fell on his child, seeing the pain he was in. “Bae?” Leaving the vault, he went over to him, pulling him into his arms._

_Belle couldn’t take her eyes off of Rumple. He was back. He was really alive._

_“Poor Baelfire. Just like his father after all…” Green magic filled the clearing._

_Rumple looked up and saw the last face he expected. “Zelena! You did this,” he snarled._

_“Guilty,” the Witch acknowledged. “All I really did was pass on some useful information. What he chose to do with it was entirely up to him.”_

_“You didn’t tell him the price,” Rumple accused._

_“I thought it was obvious really. A life for a life,” Zelena mused, shrugging nonchalantly._

_Belle shifted, hiding the dagger from view with her body. One glance at Rumple told him all he needed to know. After living with him for as long as she had, she knew when things were about to take a deadly turn. Before she could think twice about it, she snatched the dagger from his hand, stood up, and ordered, “Dark One, I command you to take us out of here.” Crimson smoke enveloped her, Neal, and Rumple._

******

Belle fell to her knees, her right hand covering her heart. The memory left her as suddenly as it had come. She wanted to cry from the weight of it, from what she had to tell Rumple. He was there with her, kneeling in front of her, his hands touching her arms. “I remember what happened to Baelfire,” she said, her words thick with tears.

“Tell me,” Rumple said softly, those two words breaking under the weight of the sudden anguish that had risen up inside him.

“We brought you back,” Belle answered, the tears streaming down her face as she looked at Rumple. “We didn’t know what the cost would be…”

The Dark One had been known to detest weakness and to never be swayed by tears. Rumplestiltskin on the other hand wanted nothing more than to comfort Belle and wipe away her tears. He brought his hands up to cup her face, using his thumbs to brush away those droplets. He didn’t care who saw him show tenderness towards her. They all knew she was the woman he loved. “Forget about everyone else,” Rumple said softly, “and tell me what you remember.”

Belle took a moment to slow her breathing, to let her tears finish falling. Being touched by Rumplestiltskin helped her to order her thoughts so she could tell him what she remembered. Finally, after what felt like hours, she took a steady breath, and said, “We were in a clearing, looking for the vault of the Dark One. Neal and I were led there by someone we thought you had cursed, but as it turns out, he was playing us for fools on behalf of that witch.” She looked at Rumple as she said it. The flicker of anger she knew all too well would spur him to seek revenge.

Belle continued on before anyone could interrupt with questions. “We had the key; the vault was uncovered. I had just discovered that our guide was a liar. Neal had gone to the lock, fit the key in it, and before I could stop him, the vault activated bringing you back. At first, it seemed like everything would be fine, until he collapsed, and he was clutching at his chest.”

“Is he dead?” Emma asked, hating that a small well of hope had started to fill her.

“I don’t know,” Belle answered. “The memory ended as soon as I saw Rumple immerge from the black pool.”

Rumple could see Belle was lying. There was more she wanted to tell him but only when they were alone. She was defying her instincts to be truthful and he knew what it was costing her.

Belle composed herself, ready to get up off the floor. She took Rumple’s hand once more, and there was that magical jolt between them. They stood together, united in a way none of the others would ever be able to understand. She made the mistake of looking at Emma of seeing the tortured look in her eyes. Belle broke the connection she had to Rumple and went to the woman who was the Savior. “Emma, I can say for certain that Neal wanted nothing more than to get back to you, to Henry. I don’t need my memories to know that. Love is worth fighting for.”

Rumple held out his hand to Belle as he said, “We should go. Everyone here has enough problems to try and fix… and so do we.” Seconds later, she placed her hand in his.

**TBC....**


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And the twists continue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is primarily Belle and Rumple's 3b story being re-told. All the other characters are relegated to the wings being secondary characters.

**STORYBROOKE WOODS:**

Belle traipsed after Rumple as they moved deeper into the woods that surrounded their home. They were on the lookout for the orange safety ties that marked the boarder of their home. “I thought we were going back to the shop?” Belle asked when they finally came to a stop. She had waited and waited for him to ask why she had lied to the others. So far, he was keeping his insatiable curiosity contained.

“You need to practice your magic and I think out here would be better than the shop,” Rumple replied, winking at her. He made a motion with his left hand, conjuring a ball of water. “Today is about defense. Now, defend yourself.”

“You’re going to throw water at me?” Belle asked in disbelief and humor.

“If you don’t want to get wet, then you better defend yourself,” Rumple said wickedly. He knew he couldn’t train Belle the way he had trained Cora, Regina, and so many others. With them, he’d badgered them, insulted, and used threats. Those methods wouldn’t work with Belle.

Belle raised her hand as Rumple hurled the ball of water at her. Nothing happened and she got soaked. Laughing, she sputtered water, wiping it off of her face. “Are you enjoying yourself?” she asked, laughing some more.

“I said you’d get wet if you didn’t defend yourself,” Rumple reminded her.

“I tried,” Belle replied quickly.

“Magic is fueled by emotion, it’s desire made real,” Rumple informed her. “Tap into moments of pure happiness that you could go back and live in them forever.” When he wanted to make magic, he tapped into his pain, into his hate. Unlike so many of them, Belle had mostly happy life – her mother’s death notwithstanding. She had more happy memories to draw on.

Belle furrowed her brow at his words. They sounded entirely too familiar, but they were helpful. She thought about her happy memories; too many to count. A few of them were with Rumple – a couple even took place at the Dark Castle. She closed her eyes, letting those emotions fill her with light, with warm power. Without looking, her hand shot out, stopping whatever had been hurled at her. Opening her eyes, she saw a snowball lingering in mid-air, a few inches from her palm. “I did it,” she whispered.

“Now, I want you to throw at it me using your magic,” Rumple instructed.

“Why?” Belle asked, flicking her gaze to him and then back to the snowball she still had magically restrained in midair.

“Why not?” Rumple asked in turn with a shrug. “I’m sure you’ve wanted to throw things at me in the past. Well, here’s your chance.”

Belle’s look was one of apprehension. “Are you sure?”

“Remember your first winter at the castle. I had visitors who brought their young children with them. While I entertained the Duke and his wife, I kept getting distracted by my precocious maid playing in the snow making those little kids laugh.” On that day, Rumple had wanted nothing more than to be out there, playing with her. She had looked so young and happy – happier than she had ever been at the castle.

Belle recalled that day. The first snowfall of the season and she couldn’t resist going out, running through the grounds, playing in the cold flakes that coated the ground. At one point she had caught him staring at her through one of the first-floor windows. Being playful, and hoping he would come out to scold her, she gathered up some of the snow, packed it good and tight. Then, without a second thought, she hurled it at the window. “What is it you said? Magic is desire made real?” Belle desired to hit him with the snowball. She cast it back at him, hitting him in the shoulder.

“You did very well. Now, defend yourself.” Yesterday, Rumple had tried to teach Belle offensive magic, and each time the power either rebounded back on her or fizzled out. He didn’t understand until this moment. Belle’s innate magical senses were that of defense. She defended those she loved as fiercely as she could with whatever she had at her disposal. Not wanting her to have time to think about what she was doing; he conjured a fireball. “Again,” he said, this time confident she would block his magical attack.

Belle had only enough time to raise her hands as the fire came at her. It slammed against a wall of pure magical energy pulsing in a shade of light blue. The red/orange of the flame spreading out over the magical barrier before disappearing. One look at him told her she could lower the barrier she had created. “What did I just do?” she asked, tucking a short strand of hair behind her ear.

Rumple crossed the clearing to stand in front of her. “I suspect your magic is primarily for defense. You automatically manifested a shield to protect yourself. Normally, when one engages in magical combat, you simply turn your enemy’s spell back on them. You didn’t do that.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Belle asked, looking down at her hands.

Rumple shook his head. “No, it’s not,” he responded. He set his hands on top of hers, feeling that connection form once again. She shuddered and gasped from it, but he knew what it was. “Every time I held my dagger, I felt the power inside it making me stronger, making me formidable. Now, as I hold tight to your hands, I feel that same invincible feeling. We make each other stronger.”

Belle looked down at their joined hands. She felt the power flowing from her and into him. At one time, she had been afraid of magic, of it corrupting her with darkness until she didn’t recognize herself. Yet, as she stood with Rumple, she didn’t feel any of that. She felt an unexplainable light filling her – a counterbalance to his darkness.

“We’ll have to learn to fight together, to cast magic together,” Rumple stated, not bothering to hide the excitement in his voice.

Belle was about to reply when the sound of a breaking twig caught her attention. One look from Rumple told her he knew they were being watched by something. They held hands while he conjured a fireball and she prepared to shield them from harm. The sound of a creature chittering behind them nearly made her turn. Rumple held her hand, keeping her attention on the stretch of forest in front of them.

“Don’t let go,” Rumple warned her. Their fingers laced together, and their power flowed freely. He would have to tap into the darkness inside of him – the side that was the Dark One. “Show yourself, dearie!”

“How did you know?” Zelena reveled herself in a plume of green smoke. She’d been observing the Dark One and his Maid – growing increasingly ill at the sight of them as the seconds ticked by.

“You’ve always had a perverse need to watch,” Rumple taunted. His instinct demanded he shield Belle with his body and his magic. The part of his heart that had been gifted to him from Belle knew she could stand her own beside him.

Belle remained silent while Rumple did what he did best – antagonized a foe. She listened to the creature behind them. Magic was also about intent. Rumple had drilled that into her head at the Dark Castle many times when she would ask about his spells and potions. While they traded insults, she started conjuring a series of traps to guard their backs.

“I was a bit surprised at how patient you were being with her. With me, it was scathing remark after scathing remark, bullying, and manipulation. This… this is perverse,” Zelena accused.

“No, she is more remarkable than you will ever be,” Rumple replied truthfully. “I barely have to teach her anything. You… on the hand…” he let the sentence drop.

“I have the most talent, and that’s the one thing you can’t admit,” Zelena snapped.

Belle knew she wasn’t ready to defend them against a witch like Zelena – who had all her memories intact. There was one thing she could do, even though it might incur the Dark One’s Wrath. She’d weathered that storm before. She could again. Before the fighting could begin, she transported both of them home.

**GOLD MANOR:**

“Why did you do that?” Rumple asked, facing Belle. They had a chance to take care of Zelena once and for all.

Belle huffed, putting her hands on her hips. “I got the sense we tried facing her together and it didn’t work out so well for us,” she responded, dropping her hands to her sides. Fighting him was the last thing she wanted to do. Her right hand came up to touch the shorn locks of her hair. There was a memory tugging at her but when she tried to reach out it vanished.

The annoyance at being yanked away from a fight immediately dissipated. Rumple took her in his arms, holding her close. “You were right to take us out of there,” he said, admitting in a roundabout way that he was wrong.

Belle chuckled, pulling back to look into his eyes. “One of these days your arrogance is going to get us killed,” she said with a trace of humor in her voice.

“Centuries as the Dark One, arrogance comes with the curse,” Rumple informed her in his usual teasing manner.

Belle kissed his lips lightly and then set a serious look upon her face. “Are you going to tell me how you know that witch?” she asked.

“Yes,” Rumple said with a sigh. He took her hand, leading her over to the couch where they could sit and talk. “I was directing Regina down her dark path, but she was taking too long becoming the monster I needed her to be to enact the dark curse. Thus, enter Zelena. She was already ripe for corruption,” he said in a colorful way. “She was already so jealous of Regina, that twisting her to suit my ends seemed like a piece of cake – or so I thought.”

“What did Regina do her?” Belle asked, setting aside all his talk of corruption and making monsters. She was going to forgive all of it in light of the missing year. Belle couldn’t be sure that she hadn’t dabbled in darkness herself.

“There’s the irony of it… nothing,” Rumple answered, frowning and shrugging at the same time. “What I am about to tell you does not leave this house,” he stressed.

Belle nodded. She was getting far too comfortable keeping secrets these days. She’d already lied about what her memory had shown her. “I won’t say anything,” she promised.

“Zelena is Cora’s first-born daughter. She was tossed aside, forgotten… and Regina was the one given everything,” Rumple confessed. There was that little pang of sympathy for Zelena – for the similar fate they shared. He had been a child unwanted by his parents.

“That’s not Regina’s fault,” Belle stated sympathetically. Despite everything the Evil Queen had done to her, no one deserves to be hated simply because they had a parent make a horrible choice.

“I agree,” Rumple replied. “Try telling that to someone who has lived their whole life being told they were never enough, never wanted. When I met Zelena she was already so envious of what Regina had, she didn’t stop to think that maybe Regina was trapped by Cora and Cora’s lust for power. I’m not excusing what Regina eventually became because I had a hand in it, but she wasn’t always someone who derived pleasure from hurting someone else.”

Belle scoffed. “I can’t imagine Regina as being kind,” she muttered.

“She was once,” Rumple whispered. He did regret what he had to do to her, but to get back to Bae, he would do it again and again.

Belle chose to let that comment linger between them. Time and circumstances had changed everyone she had ever known – sometimes for the better. She knew she was profoundly changed from her time with Rumplestiltskin, from loving him, and choosing to stand by his side through thick and thin.

********

**ENCHANTED FOREST:**

**ONE YEAR AGO**

Crimson smoke filled the main hall. Before Belle dropped the dagger, she commanded, “Raise the defenses.” She knew Rumple had spells and protective wards on the castle to keep out enemies when he was in one of his moods to be alone. With a snap of his fingers, magic raced through the castle activating every ward cast into the stone and mortar. Once it was done – and it took all of five seconds – she dropped the dagger. Together, they went to Baelfire, who was fighting for his life.

Rumple pulled Bae into his arms again, willing his son to stay alive. “You shouldn’t have done this, son,” he scolded lightly.

“I had to…” Neal replied, his voice breaking. He knew he was close to death. “Papa…”

Rumple held his son tighter, rocking back and forth, trying to get his mind to work, to find some way of keeping his son alive.

Belle looked at the spinning wheel – more accurately, she was looking at the spindle. “A sleeping curse,” she said in a rush of realization. “We put Neal under a sleeping curse. It stops the clock and keeps him from dying.” The moment she stopped speaking the cursed spindle appeared in her lap.

Rumple wasted no time. He said, “Do it.”

“We’ll see you soon,” Belle whispered as she pricked his finger. The curse spread through him, putting him to sleep forever – or at least until Rumple could find another way to break and unbreakable curse.

“He may not be dying, but…” Rumple sputtered. With Belle there was no need to be maniacal and mad. He could be the broken shell of a man he was with her.

“No, you’ll find a way around this. Your son called you the King of Loopholes. So, put that magnificently devious brain to work, and fix this,” Belle ordered well aware she didn’t have the dagger in her hand. Getting up, she went to retrieve it. She felt the weight of the ancient weapon in her hand, and the power radiating from it. This was the collar that controlled the Dark One. She had never wanted to be responsible for such power.

Rumple leaned down kissing Bae’s forehead. Then, calling on his magic, he transported his son to a room where his body would lay comfortably until he found a way to bring him out of the curse and save him from dying. Standing up, he turned his tortured gaze towards Belle. The tears were filling his eyes, he knew that, but she wouldn’t think less of him for showing this weakness. “What have I done to my son?” he asked.

Belle went to him, holding out the dagger to him. “We’ll find a way to wake him together. Until then, here, you should have this. I can’t…” She handed the blade to him, hoping he would take it from her and be his own man again.

Rumple reached out and closed Belle’s hand around the hilt of the only weapon in the realm that could control him. “You should keep it. It’s a symbol of my faith in you, of my trust that you won’t abuse this power. I love you and the moment I realized that I knew I would be yours forever.”

Belle knew that arguing with him would be futile. “I promise I won’t use it against you, because I love you, too,” she replied. To free her hands, she slipped the blade inside her boot. She looked at him again and this time it was she who had tears in her eyes. Without another second going by, she threw her arms around him, pulling him in tightly against her. “I missed you so much!” she cried, hiding her face against the collar of his cloak.

Rumple held her, kissing the side of her head over and over. “I’m here now,” he whispered over and over. Being with Belle was the sweetest moment of his life. She alone had the power to calm the demons that constantly plagued him. When it was time to face Pan, to stop that menace from killing the two people he loved, he willingly died for Belle and Bae. He hadn’t imagined his son bringing him back.

Belle sagged against Rumple having cried herself in exhaustion. The day had taken a toll on her. Without a word, he picked her up and carried her towards the stairs that led up to the next floor. She expected him to turn left at the top of the landing, but instead, he turned right. He was taking her towards his chambers. She was too tired to argue about sleeping arrangements.

Rumple kicked open the door of his bed chamber, carrying Belle over to the lavish red and gold covered bed made up of silk sheets and feather pillows. Walking around to the left side, he carefully laid her down. She rolled over on her right side, her back to him, nearly halfway into sleep. His intention was to let her have the bed while he retired to the library to begin his search for a way around the sleeping curse.

Belle heard that first step and it snapped her out of her exhausted state. Rolling to her back, she whispered, “Rumple, please don’t leave me alone.”

In a swirl of magic, Rumplestiltskin was once again himself – tight leather pants, over the knee boots, a dark purple silk shirt, and a black and silver brocade vest. He sat down beside her and took her left hand in between his. “I will be here all night,” he said as he lifted her hand to his lips, kissing the back gently.

Belle smiled sleepily, settling back into the mound of red silk covered pillows. She tried to keep watching him, but with each breath she exhaled her eyes grew heavier and heavier. Sleep came within seconds, claiming her without so much as a struggle.

When Rumple was sure she was fast asleep, he set her hand down, so he could cover her with a blanket. He left her in his bed, exiting his chamber to stride down the corridor to where his son lay in the grips of the sleeping curse. As he had with Belle, he took a seat beside his son, holding the hand of a man he never got to have a chance to make amends with. “Oh, Bae…”

**MORNING:**

When Belle woke, she was treated to the most wonderful sight of her life. Rumplestiltskin was sitting in a chair by the bed, watching her with one of his pondering expressions. Stretching, she sat up, painfully aware she had fallen asleep in her traveling clothes – the dagger still tucked inside her boot. “How long have I been asleep?” she asked, rubbing at her eyes.

“All morning,” Rumple answered. Waving his hand, he produced breakfast for her. “You should eat,” he said carefully.

Belle smiled. “Breakfast in bed, huh?” She wasn’t hungry. “If you’re going to yell at me, just get it over with,” she stated, sitting up, and putting her feet on the floor.

“What you did was foolish and dangerous. It was completely reckless. Neither of you had any idea of what you were doing…” Rumple said with an edge of steel to his voice, but he was careful not to raise the volume.

Belle crossed her arms over her chest and looked up at him. “Are you through scolding me because you can’t scold your son?” she asked, attitude dripping from her words.

“Belle…” Rumple stressed her name.

Belle got up and stood toe to toe with the mighty Dark One. “You might be master of this castle, but I am not its maid anymore. I am the woman you love. I am the woman you died for…”

“Exactly! I died to keep you and my son safe!” Rumple shouted. He was controlled enough to keep his hands at his sides, rather than grab her and shake her senseless.

“I didn’t ask you to die for me!” Belle yelled back. Her hands planted in his chest and she shoved him.

Rumple stumbled back a few paces. She stepped in close to shove him again, but he surprised her by wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. Beating her fists on his back, she cursed him, cursed Pan. All he did was hold her tight until her fit of rage subsided. He could take a beating. “I know,” Rumple whispered over and over.

Eventually the fight in Belle subsided and she just held on to Rumple as desperately as she had last night. “Neal wouldn’t have stopped trying to get back to Henry and Emma. He knew you were the best chance he had. If I didn’t help him…” If she hadn’t helped him then he would be dead and that witch would have the dagger, keeping Rumple as a slave.

“You still shouldn’t have brought me back,” Rumple said, taking a step back from her.

“Rumple, you can brood about what monumental disappointments Baelfire and I have become to you after we find a way around the sleeping curse that only has one cure. I know you won’t give up on him.” Belle crossed her arms over her chest again taking on a defiant stance.

Rumplestiltskin didn’t want to argue with her. Using his magic, he transported himself to his tower. He needed a little space from her, from the fact that he was alive again. If he was going to have any hope of finding a way to break a sleeping curse, he needed to get his head cleared. Conjuring his spinning wheel, he sat down and started to spin. He let his thoughts flow into the straw, using his magic to turn it to gold. Then, little by little, his mind calmed.

*******

Afternoon came rolling around at the Dark Castle with Belle sitting beside Baelfire. She had sat with him in silence for most of the morning until she had calmed down. Rumple had scolded her as if she were nothing more than a misbehaving child. “I forgot how aggravating he can be when he’s the beast,” she sighed. “Though, I sort of deserved it. We didn’t think about the ramifications of bringing him back. We just wanted him – for different reasons. You wanted to get home to Emma and Henry. I wanted him back, so I didn’t have to face being alone with a broken heart.”

Belle knew what she had to do. Getting up, she left Neal where he was, safe in the grips of the sleeping curse. She walked out of the room and headed towards the tower where Rumple often did his work – concocting potions, reading through spell books. Belle took her time walking through the corridor, getting a sense of the castle again. With the curse broken, everything that had been in Storybrooke was now back in their land. Rumple’s castle was exactly as it had been – not a possession out of place.

Walking into the west wing, Belle climbed the circular stairs that led to his tower. It was his retreat. When she reached the top, she saw him over by the window. It was open and the scent of a lingering winter chill filled the stone room. “Are you still brooding?” she asked, drawing his attention.

“No,” Rumple responded, crossing the room to stand in front of Belle.

“You were right to scold me this morning,” Belle said before he had a chance to say anything else. “Baelfire and I didn’t think about what this resurrection would do to you. We just wanted you back. If you’re angry at me, I understand…”

Rumple stopped her from speaking by grabbing her arms, pulling her close so his lips could claim hers – sweetly in the way he had wanted since laying eyes upon her at the vault. He stopped being angry with her the moment he left her side this morning. Love burned across his skin, beating back the appearance of the beast. When he pulled back, he saw her look of surprise. Using magic, he produced a rose for her. “True love works, but it’s only skin deep. I’m still cursed.”

“True love works…” Belle repeated. Her mind started to spin with possible ideas on how to save Baelfire. “The blackness of your heart keeps you from being able to use true love to end a curse…” She trailed off letting her mind race with possibilities.

After several agonizing moments ticked by without her so much as uttering a syllable, Rumple urged, “Use your words Belle.” He couldn’t help if he didn’t know what roads her mind was taking. While she continued to pace, he felt the power of their kiss wearing off. The mask of the beast was back in place.

“We have two problems. Saving Bae’s life and waking him from the sleeping curse. We can’t wake him until we save him,” Belle said, looking at Rumple again, barely registering that he was the beast again. “When you were reforming in that black muck, Bae was grabbing his chest. I think it was heart giving out.” She used the shortened version of his name and scarcely realized that she was doing it as she spoke.

“We can’t just give him a heart trans…” Rumple started to argue and then it hit him like a ton of bricks. He felt almost stupid for having started to argue. “That’s exactly what we do. We give him a new heart.”

“Is that even possible?” Belle asked.

“It is. When a heart is ripped from someone’s chest, it’s imbued with magic so it can live outside the body. If I was to put that heart in Baelfire’s chest to replace his dying one, the person I took it from would die,” Rumple explained.

“We’re not doing that,” Belle stated. She didn’t want to be the cause of someone else’s death.

“I know, but it gives us a place to start looking for a loophole,” Rumple replied. Snapping his fingers, he conjured all the books from the library that dealt with magical hearts.

**TBC....**


	3. Chapter 3

**STORYBROOKE:**

**PRESENT DAY**

Rumple sat uncomfortably in a booth at Granny’s Diner. Evening had come to the small little magical hamlet and that meant patrons had come for some of the old wolf’s overpriced lasagna. Though, tonight, something had held their interest. Rumplestiltskin back from the dead. He closed his eyes, shaking his head, and muttered, “I really hate this place.”

Belle set down her menu – even though she already knew what she was getting – and looked at him. “It’s not that bad,” she said softly. She was earning more than her fair share of stares. Before leaving the manor, her magic had changed her clothes from the simple dress she had worn back into the suit from the other day. She hadn’t even realized she done it until Rumple stopped her, pulling her into his arms so he could kiss her.

“For you maybe…” Rumple replied. “They see you as one of their own, while I’m…” he let his sentence drop as he motioned to the multitude of black he was wearing. He might not look like the Dark One, but that was who he was and would always be.

“I’ll never be one of them,” Belle denied. “They see me as an outsider because I love you,” she said, glancing at the people avidly watching them. Some days she could ignore the looks she got, and she could pretend not to hear the insults that were thrown her way. Most of them believed she deserved whatever harm she’d ever received because of her relationship with Rumplestiltskin.

“Then, let’s go home and I’ll make dinner,” Rumple offered. He didn’t want to be in this diner another minute. Too many people were staring at him. It was beginning to annoy him. People en masse were the main reason he liked to live alone at the Dark Castle.

“As uncomfortable as it is, we should stay and show them we don’t care what they think,” Belle responded. She flicked a glance to a few of the dwarves who watched them. They weren’t trying to hide their curiosity. She hated to admit it, but it made her uncomfortable as well.

“That’s a pity,” Rumple remarked. He sat back, resting his hands on the table, tapping his right index finger idly.

“Why is that?” Belle inquired, resting her forearms on the edge of the table, leaning forward.

“Had we chosen to dine at home, I had planned on peeling you out of that suit layer by layer,” Rumple whispered darkly. He bit his bottom lip and waggled his brows suggestively at her.

Belle broke into a fit of giggles.

“One thought and we’re home,” Rumple continued to tempt her. He wanted to have her all to himself, away from the prying eyes of nosey townsfolk. It was his possessive nature coming up to rear its ugly head, he knew that. She was his just as completely as he belonged to her. Belle having possession of his dagger didn’t change that. He wouldn’t want to be with anyone else.

“Rumple, can’t we just do something normal?” Belle asked softly.

“We’ll never be normal… eating at Granny’s doesn’t change that,” Rumple replied honestly.

Belle’s hand fell to her side where the dagger now resided. “Truer words…” she mumbled. It was then that she realized she had never been destined for normal. She had been raised a princess who would one day marry a prince. Then, her people were beset by ogres and she had to make a hard choice to go with a beast to save everyone she cared about. That was the first step on the long road that had been leading her to this moment – to having to contend with power she’d never imagined having.

Rumple watched the humor leave her face. “Belle, I’m sorry…”

“I’m not angry, I’m just realizing you’re right. I’ll never be normal,” Belle stated, and she wasn’t upset. Looking around at everyone, at seeing Granny behind the bar, she realized she didn’t want the mundane. She wanted the exceptional, the magical. Rumplestiltskin was all she wanted. “Let’s get out of here.”

Rumple was about to use magic but stopped himself. Sliding out of the booth, he stood, offering his arm to her. “How about we walk home? The evening is so nice,” he said with a huge smile.

Belle linked her arm with his and replied, “I’d love to.” Walking down the street was about as close to normal as she would ever get, and she would take it.

**GOLD MANOR:**

Back at the house, Rumple had prepared a light meal consisting of fruit, cheese, crackers, and assorted nuts that paired nicely with a red wine. They had taken their meal upstairs on the second-floor veranda, so they could enjoy the warm evening air. Tonight, they had agreed not to worry about their missing memories or anything else that had happened. Rumplestiltskin wanted to savor each moment he had with Belle. If dying taught him anything – it was to make the most of each day. When they found Bae, he would work hard, be on his best behavior, and show his son that he could be a better man that made the right choices. At least he hoped he could continue to make right choices. He was the Dark One for a reason.

Belle picked up her glass, swirling the crimson colored wine gently before taking a small sip. “This is our kind of normal,” she whispered, glancing at him with a delighted little smirk. She set her glass down and then lay back against the mound of pillows to look up at the aged wood of the veranda roof. Calling on her magic, the dark beams were hidden behind a night sky filled with twinkling stars. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw crimson smoke clear away their plates of food and the glasses of wine. Then, his face was filling her vision.

Rumple stretched out on his side, leaning over her with a wry smile playing on his lips. She right hand rested on his chest, sliding up to cup the back of his neck, pulling him down. Belle kissed him eagerly, the softness of her lips making him moan. Breaking the kiss, he asked, “Shall we move this in doors?”

“I like where we are just fine,” Belle replied wickedly. She conjured a thick curtain of night to surround the veranda to obstruct any view any passerby might have. Her words distracted him enough that she could push him to lie on his back and straddle his waist. “Don’t you have an adventurous streak?” she asked as she unbuttoned his vest and slipped it off to pool behind him. Removing the tie clip, she tossed it over her shoulder, and then yanked free the knot of his tie.

Rumple growled playfully as she pulled the black tie from under his collar. His slid his hands over her hips and up her back. He nimbly unbuttoned the silver buttons of the navy vest she had on. Stripping it from her body, he went to work on her silk tie. “Have I told you how delectable you look in a three-piece suit?” he asked, kissing the underside of her chin.

“You might have mentioned it a time or two,” Belle responded breathlessly. Running her hands through his hair, she angled his head back to look him in the eyes. “Do you see me differently now that I have magic?” she asked. Belle thought having magic was a terrible fate, something someone might have to sell their soul to possesses. Her examples of power had only come from Rumple and from Regina – both using it for terrible means. Then there was Emma. The daughter of Prince Charming and Snow White had magic and it hadn’t turned her into someone completely unrecognizable.

“No, sweetheart, I don’t. You were a bright light amidst the ocean of darkness I lived in for centuries. When I feel that darkness trying to engulf me, you are the beacon I look for to help guide me back to the light,” Rumple said sweetly. He ran his hands up and down her sides, hoping his words soothed her. With half of her heart residing in his chest, he found it easier than before to be good.

“I like my magic,” Belle confessed in a single breath. She snapped her fingers, using her power to rid him of his dress shirt. “It certainly comes in handy when I want to get you naked faster,” she said wickedly.

“Belle, I’m scandalized,” Rumple replied in mock surprise and then he used his magic to remove her shirt. “But you are right, it does make getting you naked easier.” He laughed when she covered her face in true embarrassment. Rumple took her hands away from her face where he could see the blush coloring her cheeks. When she looked in his eyes, she saw the desire he was feeling.

Belle cupped his face, letting passion fill her. She kissed him deeply as magic swirled around them – whether from her or from him she didn’t care. They gave themselves over to the ecstasy of making love to each other.

******

A little while later, Rumplestiltskin lay beside Belle, watching as she dozed. She was on her back, her left arm above her head, and her right hand resting on her stomach. He gently placed his hand over hers when she moaned, turning her head to the side. Beneath her closed eyelids, he saw her eyes moving back and forth. “Belle?” he called to her, but she did not wake.

******

_Belle was running through the woods, her bare feet covered in mud and leaves. She was soaked clear through the baby blue nightie she wore, her long auburn hair plastered to her back. Skidding to s a stop, Belle leaned over, her hands resting on her knees as she fought to control her breathing. Something had terrified her enough to send her fleeing blindly. After she caught her breath, she realized where she had run to. The Vault of the Dark One. It was open and a slender black mass was immerging from the darkness. Belle back away out of fright. She yelped when hands grabbed her._

_“There’s nothing to be afraid of.”_

_Belle wrenched free, turning to face the strange man. “Who are you?”_

_“My name’s Pan,” he introduced himself, bowing in proper courtly fashion._

_Belle took a step back. “You can’t be,” she said in denial. Rumple had stabbed Peter Pan, dying in the process. “Who are you really?” she demanded to know._

_“I’m Pan, just as I said,” he responded gently._

_“Peter Pan is dead,” Belle shot back sharply._

_“I’ve never been called ‘Peter Pan’ in my life,” Pan replied with a trace of a laugh to his words._

_“It’s true, he hasn’t.”_

_Belle moved, facing the new voice – a female this time. She made sure to keep both strangers in view. “You’re a Dark One,” she said with a sickening realization. This woman was slender, tall, and beautiful despite the golden green skin and bronze-colored eyes._

_“Yes, I am. My name’s Amara,” she said, stepping out of the vault to go to Pan. He held out his hand to her with a small smile on his lips. “So many years apart. I thought I would never see you again,” she whispered as she placed his hand in hers.”_

_“It may only be a dream realm, but I am overjoyed to see you, my love,” Pan replied sweetly, pulling her close._

_“What is going on?” Belle demanded to know. She had gone to sleep, safe and warm in Rumple’s bed with his arms around her. Ending up cold and wet, running through the woods was not the dream she expected to have._

_“You must be Belle,” Amara said, looking at the young woman. “Rumplestiltskin has excellent taste. A fierce heart, pure of spirit, and someone who has more faith in his goodness than he’s ever known before.”_

_“How do you know that?” Belle enquired, cautiously taking a step closer. Magic swirled around them, transporting them to a small stone lodge, a fire in the hearth, and her simple nightgown was dry. She sat down on a wooden bench. Pen held out a fur blanket to her and she accepted it, throwing it around her to keep the chill away._

_“A piece of who I was as the Dark One resides within the dagger for as long as the curse is passed on. The same is true for Pan. He was special in a way I hadn’t realized could exist. He saw through the darkness in my soul and loved me in spite of the evil I perpetuated. We had a life that I never understood why I deserved,” Amara said, smiling sadly._

_“It wasn’t always easy but making it through those hard times made the love I felt for her worth it,” Pan said, looking at Belle. “Being the Dark One’s lover is not for the faint of heart. It alienates you from everyone and makes you a target at the same time.”_

_Belle nodded sadly. “I know that all too well,” she responded. “Why am I seeing the two of you in my dreams? Shouldn’t it be Rumple you’re talking to?” she asked curiously._

_“We’re talking to you because you hold the dagger,” Amara informed. “You must have your hand around it even in sleep. That blade has been waiting for you for a very long time.”_

_“Why me?” Belle asked, disbelief showing on her face._

_“Because you love him and you’d fight for him no matter what,” Pan answered her. “When I came to the attention of the Dark One, I was a simple farmer who had lost all hope in goodness. I was hurtling down a dark path when she saved me in her own unique way. Being together was problematic and we went through hell to find each other, but it was worth. Amara and I had a life, had two beautiful children, and more time than we thought we’d ever be allowed together.” He pushed up his sleeve to show Belle what resided on the inside of his forearm. “I was the first pure soul to be chosen by the dagger, to be its protector.”_

_Belle reached out to touch the tattoo and then looked at him. “Is that…?”_

_“Yes,” Pan answered. “The blade is a magical object, and it does have a mind of its own on occasion. It became a part of me and in time I was able to conjure it, to use it.” To show her what he meant, he placed his hand over the hilt, pulling it from the protection of his body. He showed her the name inscribed in it – Amara._

_“Did you choose to have it bond with you?” Belle questioned. She stretched out her hand, the tips of her fingers nearly touching the familiar razors edge. Pan surprised her by offering it to her, hilt first. She wasn’t sure what made her take it, but in the next second her fingers were curling around it and a new name appeared. Rumplestiltskin._

_“Having the blade isn’t a terrible fate. It’ll open your life to new possibilities, give you a deeper understanding of what he goes through, and it’ll show you wonders you never knew existed,” Pan explained cryptically._

_“Did it change you in any way?” Belle asked, feeling the weight of the dagger resting against her palms._

_“It didn’t blacken my heart. What it did was give me more years with the woman I love than I ever thought possible.” Pan reached over to take Amara’s hand._

_Belle wanted to do all she could to help protect Rumple from being controlled – even by her. “I won’t force him to do anything. I can’t take advantage of him the way others have.”_

_“That’s exactly the right answer,” Amara stated._

_Looking down at the blade, Belle made her choice. She held the dagger close to her heart and opened herself up to becoming its guardian…_

******

Belle woke up from her dream, the Dark One’s dagger in her hand. She was gasping, momentarily forgetting where she was.

“Belle, wake up,” Rumple said quickly. He couldn’t take his eyes off the dagger.

“It was just a dream,” Belle mumbled. Then she looked at what she held, and she wasn’t entirely sure it had all been a dream. Perhaps a dream of a memory of a dream that happened in the missing year. “I think I know how I took possession of the dagger,” she stated and instinctually returned it to the safety of her skin – this time it resided along the back of her neck and down her spine.

“How?” Rumple asked unsure of where he should look. At her back? At her face?

“I chose to be its guardian,” Belle responded. “No matter what happens, I will always choose you.” She had been powerless to stop him from dying. He had made the choice on his own to give up his life so that she might live, but she couldn’t live without him.

“But why would you take that kind of risk for me?” Rumple questioned. He didn’t want to be thrilled that she was completely his for fear she would take it the wrong way.

“I met a previous Dark One,” Belle answered. “Her name was Amara and she had human lover.” Sensing Rumple’s curiosity, she gathered the sheet up to her chest, turning so he could examine her bare back. “They had a life together even though she was cursed. They had children and they were in love. I took the risk because I love you and I wouldn’t let someone control you.” She was trying to order her thoughts, to make them coherent enough that she could tell him all that had happened her dream.

Rumple touched the hilt, still unable to remove it himself, which was a good thing. He needed to learn to trust someone completely and that someone was Belle. “I’ve read about her, actually, but there was never any mention of her lover,” he explained. “She was the Dark One for nearly two hundred years before Zoso took the curse from her.” Leaning in, he placed his lips to the crook of her neck. The shoulder length strands of her hair tickled his cheek.

“I wonder how he was able to become the Dark One, though? Pan – Amara’s lover – was the dagger’s guardian like I am,” Belle responded, turning to face Rumple. “Zoso wouldn’t have had the power to remove it from Pan’s body,” she said even though it was a guess.

“Pan?” Rumple asked quizzically.

“I had that reaction too,” Belle replied as she draped her arms over his shoulders. “If I dream of them again, I’ll be sure to ask if he had any familial ties to your father, Malcom.”

Rumple pressed his forehead to Belle’s, breathing out slowly. “There’s a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that they might,” he said softly and sadly. “My papa never told my about his parents, about why they weren’t around…” It angered him to the very core of his being that he still felt pain over what his father had done to him.

“Oh, Rumple…” Belle kissed his brow. She laid back down, resting his head over her heart. He curled around her, breathing out slow, shuddering breaths. The subject of his human life, of his father was always a hard one for him to discuss – even with her. She stroked the back of his head lovingly until he was ready to talk. While they lay together, her eyes gazed at the twinkling stars her magic had conjured. She now knew how she had the dagger. She chose to be its protector, to be the Dark One’s protector. If such a thing was possible? What about her heart? In the dream she hadn’t had to give half of it up. So, what led to her gifting it to Rumple? Once thing she was certain off was that she would get answers in time.

Rumple didn’t want to talk about his disastrous father. So, he asked, “Why did it choose you?”

“Because I have complete faith in you and I have a fierce heart as well as a pure spirit,” Belle gave him the answer she had been given by Amara. “I assume the dagger needs someone like me to balance out the darkness of someone like you,” she said sweetly.

Rumple levered himself up, looking down on her. “Someone like me, huh?”

“Well, you are the Dark One,” Belle replied teasingly.

“I’m your Dark One,” Rumple clarified. He swooped down on her, kissing her deeply and thoroughly. She accepted him into her body and into her heart. They made love until the sun came up.

**ENCHANTED FOREST:**

**ONE YEAR AGO**

Belle slammed her book closed, huffing in annoyance. “This one isn’t helpful either,” she grumbled. Sitting back in her chair, she crossed her arms and frowned, growing even more frustrated as the minutes ticked by. “We’re getting nowhere,” she complained.

Rumple glanced up from his book, a rueful smile playing on his lips. “Give it time,” he counseled. “We’ve only been at it…”

“For six weeks,” Belle cut in hastily. She was becoming increasingly discouraged that they would ever find a solution to help Baelfire.

“It seems our roles have reversed,” Rumple teased as he got up. He took the book he had been reading over to Belle and placed it in front of her. “I might have found a way to help Bae.”

Belle didn’t waste any time with foolish questions. She pulled the book into her lap and read the small passage he pointed to. Then she looked up at him. “You’d give him half of your heart?” she asked.

“It’s strong enough, but we would have to find a way to rid half of it of my darkness before I could do that,” Rumple replied.

“Even if we did that, the remaining half of your heart would still be dark,” Belle pointed out. “You wouldn’t be able to use true love to wake him.”

Rumple smirked, leaning down to touch his forehead to hers. “One problem at a time, my love,” he whispered. For once in his life, he was trying to be hopeful, and if he had to be that for both of them, then he would.

An idea struck Belle. Leaning back, she said, “We have to purify your heart. It’ll only be a temporary solution, but it should work. We’ll have just enough time to split your heart in half before the darkness takes root in it again.” Rising from her chair, she went to one of the books she had marked to save for later and found the spell she needed.

Rumple went to her, slipping his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder so he could read the section she had marked. “A truth telling spell… Are you serious?”

Belle frowned, nudging his head lightly with her own. “It’s not that simple. This spell forces you to dig deep, to confess a truth that you don’t even know you’re holding on to. You complete this spell with someone you trust completely.” He made a sound and motioned to her – all without moving away from her. “We’ll need two pieces of rope that look like this,” she said, pointing to the picture. Belle was committed to doing this spell with him. As close as they had become since his resurrection, they could be closer.

Rumple straightened his posture, moving away from Belle. “I actually have those,” he said.

Belle turned to him. “How?” she asked.

“How else, dearie? A deal,” Rumple replied with his maniacal little giggle.

“Of course, how foolish of me,” Belle replied, shaking her head and smirked at him. She leaned in and kissed him. Rumple moaned softly, the beastly mask falling away. His hand rested on the table as the front of his body pressed into hers.

Rumple kissed her softly. “You like doing that to me,” he accused good naturedly.

Belle looked innocent and shrugged. “Guilty,” she responded.

“Tell me you read the fine print on that spell,” Rumple said giving her a mischievous look.

“I thought that might be the only way you’d agree to do it,” Belle giggled.

“You know me so well,” Rumple mused, growling darkly. He gipped her waist, lifting her to set her on the edge of the table, so he could stand between her parted knees.

Belle draped her arms over his shoulders, her fingers threading through his crimped hair. They had a little time to indulge in each other. The spell was best done under the light of a full moon, which was tonight.

**NIGHTFALL:**

Rumple held the two pieces of rope they needed for the spell as they stood outside on top of one of the towers. Normally, he would use the southern tower for stargazing, but his telescope had been moved in doors for now. Belle joined him a moment later, carrying an ampule. “What have you got there?” he asked as she came towards him.

“It’s an anointed oil that should help keep the darkness at bay once reveal our truths. The oil will turn black and it’ll mean we’ve unburdened our hearts,” Belle answered. She set the vial down next to the rope. Her stomach fluttered at the thought of being naked in front of him out in the open night air. This was different than making love with him – here or back in Storybrooke.

Rumple could see she was nervous, so, to put her at ease, he snapped his fingers, being the first to get naked for this little ritual. She looked him up and down, a little blush coloring her cheeks. After all this time, she could still show how modest she really was. “Ready?” he asked.

Belle nodded, before she lost her nerve. He snapped again and this time she was naked. She shivered when the night air breathed over her bare flesh. Looking away, she picked up the ampule of oil, and poured some into her hand. She handed it to him and then spread it across her palms and fingers before placing her hands flat on his chest. When she lifted them, her prints shimmered with an iridescent glow under the light of the moon. Her hands cupped his face as well, leaving matching marks behind. “Now, you do the same to me.”

Rumple took the oil, pouring a generous amount into his palm and then set the container down again. Spreading it over his hands, he mirrored Belle’s actions by placing his hands on her chest, right above her heart, and then he cupped her face adding the final marks. “All right, what’s next?” he asked.

“We take the rope and tie our hands together,” Belle replied furrowing her brow slightly. She had never tied herself up before. “This could be a problem,” she mumbled.

Picking up one of the pieces of rope, Rumple handed it to Belle. “Here, tie my hands first,” he said, “then, I’ll tie yours.”

“Won’t that be difficult though?” Belle asked as she wound the coarse cord around his wrists and then tied the ends together.

“No, I’ve done it before,” Rumple replied as he picked up the second piece. She held her wrists together and he bound them together without too much effort. The moment the knot was tied together, the ropes glowed with magic. To test them, Rumple made a motion, using his magic to try and remove them. Nothing happened.

Belle gave him a droll stare and he shrugged, shaking his head. “Now we tell our truths…” she muttered. Suddenly, this didn’t seem like such a good idea.

“I want power more than I want anything,” Rumple said but nothing happened. “Could’ve sworn that was going to work.”

“Guess that’s not your truth,” Belle remarked sarcastically. “Dig deeper, Rumple,” she added. This spell wasn’t supposed to have an easy answer. It was supposed to force the pair to reveal the deepest, darkest secret they wanted no one to know.

“Then you have a go at it, if you’re so smart,” Rumple shot back. He winked at her to let her know he wasn’t irritated with her. They willingly committed to this spell and he would see through to the end, no matter what was revealed.

Belle rolled her eyes. She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled before saying, “I fear I’m not the hero I want to be.” Like his confession, hers was not what the spell was looking for.

“Dig deeper, Belle,” Rumple mimicked her earlier words. She rolled her eyes at him again.

A few hours went by and neither Belle nor Rumple had been freed from their magical bonds. So, while silence loomed between them, she went to stand by the ledge, resting her forearms on the edge. For once, she was glad she lived in the middle of nowhere with him. They had each admitted to things they wished never to tell the other, but so far, the truth spell was not appeased. She was starting to worry even more that she made a mistake by suggesting they do this.

Rumple had more than his fair share of secrets and in the last three hours he had confessed most of them. Yet, his hands were still tied, and Belle was starting to lose confidence in their course of action. It was time to admit to something else and this time it involved her. Going over to her, he nudged her shoulder with his forehead to gain her attention. “We’ll be free in time,” Rumple whispered with a touch of confidence.

“I know and I’m starting to realize that we have a lot more to learn about each other, which I suspect is the real purpose of this spell,” Belle replied, resting her temple against the top of his head.

Rumple placed a little kiss to her shoulder before he turned to stand next to her, his arms resting on the ledge next to her. “When I realized I started having feelings for you, I went to a man to try and rid myself of them. At that time, I couldn’t afford to be weak. He gave me a potion, but it didn’t work, and I was relieved. If I really wanted to stop loving you, I would’ve ripped out my own heart. Except, I couldn’t do that either. I realized keeping you close, loving you quietly would have to do because I convinced myself that you would never love me in return. No one else had…” The rope didn’t release him, and he was fine with that. Tears filled his eyes as he tried not to look at her, to see the utter disappointment in her eyes.

Belle sniffled because she couldn’t help it. His confession hurt but she was guilty of the same thing. “I tried not to love you too. For months I convinced myself you were just this beast that didn’t care about anyone except to hurt them and for a while that was all you showed me. Then, something changed, and I caught glimpses of the man you were. The day you sent me to town, I knew I was in love with you, Regina didn’t have to point it out. I said I wasn’t going to come back but if she hadn’t stopped me, I would have gone back to you on my own.” Belle sniffled again, and this time they shared a tear-filled look. “You were a man who made wrong choices, but you’re not him anymore,” she said confidently.

“If I was put in a situation where I had to sacrifice myself again… I wouldn’t do it,” Rumple said in a harsh whisper. “I can’t do it again.” The rope released and he was free. The marks on his chest had turned black.

“I’m terrified that I will never be everything you need,” Belle responded in a broken quaking gasp. The marks on burned as they turned black and then her rope released. Rumple was about to take her in his arms, but she stopped him. “Wait…the marks… so long as they remain black, our hearts are freed from darkness. We don’t have time to waste.”

Rumple used his magic to rip his heart from his chest. It was red and pulsing with purity. Before the spell wore off, he split his heart in half. Then he used magic to clothe him and Belle before taking them to Bae’s room. Rumple immediately went to his son’s bed side. He didn’t have time to waste. Taking his sons dying heart, he replaced it with the half of his that had been freed from the curse.

Belle held Bae’s heart as the last little bit of light was snuffed out. She hoped they had done the right thing. If not, Bae could never be curse of the sleeping curse. “Rumple,” she said his name, her voice thick with emotion. When he turned to look at her, she showed him the dead heart. Tears were streaming down her face freely. She was emotionally raw at the moment.

This time, Rumple didn’t hesitate. He went to her, gathering her close, holding her securely against him. Using his magic, he took them to his bed chamber where she could cry freely – and he could shed his tears with only her to witness them. “We did the right thing,” he repeated over and over.

Belle pulled back from him; the heart still cradled in her hands. He took it from her and placed it in a box that was on the dresser. While his back was turned, she drew her hand down her cheek. Her fingers weren’t smudged with black. The spell was over leaving her heart feeling lighter and heavier at the same time. “I’m not mad you tried to find a way not to love me,” she whispered.

Rumple reached blindly back, holding out his hand to her, hoping she would take it. One look in the mirror told him he was the beast again – the metallic green skin, the fierce eyes. “Now that I know what it’s like, I will never stop loving you,” he vowed.

“And I’d never want to lose my love for you,” Belle replied as she took his hand, stepping in close to him to rest her cheek on the back of his silk covered shoulder. Together, they stood in silence, each allowing their tears to fall.

**TBC.....**


	4. Chapter 4

**STORYBROOKE:**

**PRESENT DAY**

Killian Jones was a man capable of getting whatever he set his sights on. Yet even though he set himself to the task of locating one comatose man, he couldn’t seem to find any lead on the lad. A day and night of searching this ridiculous little town had turned up nothing. Now, he had to go to the crocodile to admit failure. It tasted like ashes in his mouth, but he was resigned to it. Walking down the sidewalk, he headed towards the pawnshop.

Hook entered the shop, ready to face the music. The little bell above the door announced his presence and within seconds Gold appeared with his paramour following behind him. “Ah, crocodile, you’re looking well rested,” he said in preamble.

“Have you found my son?” Rumple asked, dispensing with the fake pleasantries.

“I checked high and low, mate, and there isn’t a whisper of your boy,” Hook admitted. “I’ll keep looking, though,” he promised. He owed it to the boy, not the father.

“I’m sure you have it well in hand, captain,” Rumple replied without his usual brand of sass. It took all he had not to turn the pirate into a snail and step on him. There was still the old resentment rising up inside him – the humiliation of being beaten by him as a human. For Belle’s sake, however, he was going to let it all go. Finding Bae, helping her with her magic was his two main concerns. Hook was quickly becoming an afterthought – finally.

Hook nodded, not bothering to reply. Belle was watching them carefully, waiting for the first shots to be fired in their never-ending battle with each other. As much as he wanted to hate Rumplestiltskin, he found mustering the darker emotions tiresome. “Look, for what it’s worth, I’m leaving our past in the past. If this past year taught me anything, it’s hat revenge gets you nowhere.” He still reviled everything the crocodile was – that would never change. After so many centuries, he was little better than the Dark One standing before him. It was high time he tried to be something else – or he could leave. Whichever came first.

“That’s awfully big of you,” Belle replied testily. She was more forgiving than most people would ever expect, but every time she looked at Killian Jones, she wasn’t willing to forgive. He tried to kill her twice and all for his lust for revenge.

Rumple looked at Belle in surprise. He took her hand, hoping his touch calmed the tumult of emotions he could feel stirring inside her. What he felt from her had the potential to turn dark if he didn’t stop it. He concentrated instinctually on redirecting her anger, on leeching it out of her. Rumple had more experience using it to suit his own ends than Belle did. It was something he never wanted her to learn to use.

“Aye,” Hook said for lack of anything else. He scratched the back of his head nervously. “I’m sorry for all that I did to you too,” he apologized. It was better late than never to his way of thinking.

“You’re sorry…?” Belle asked, freeing her hand from Rumple’s hold. “You tried to kill me. Twice. Once in the Queen’s tower and then you shot me in the back and made me lose my memories. That’s not something a half assed apology will fix.”

“I was in a dark place, love…” Hook responded in a cavalier manner.

Rumple felt Belle tense, ready to use her magic, but he struck first. He motioned his hand, sending Hook out of the shop and to another part of Storybrooke. “That was about to get messy,” he remarked. While she was distracted for the moment, he took her hand again, recalling the rest of his anger. That was just one more twist to their unique magical bond.

“I don’t know what came over me,” Belle responded, breathing out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

“Anger isn’t always a bad thing,” Rumple informed. He brought her hand up, placing a kiss to her knuckles.

“It’s not how I want to be,” Belle said, closing her eyes and lowering her head.

“This magical bond we have seems to allow you to tap into what makes me strong,” Rumple responded, though it was primarily a guess. Her innate ability to forgive made her who she was, and he could feel that as a faint echo inside of him. The half of her heart he possessed seemed capable of amplifying her positive emotions, making him a better man. He hoped that his dagger was not having an adverse effect on her, giving her darker emotions she was ill-prepared to handle.

“I’ve forgiven you for all that you’ve done, and I’ve partially forgiven Regina for holding me prisoner… but him…” Belle took her hand from his, stepping away. “When I look at him, I just want…”

Rumple didn’t let Belle put distance between them. He took her in his arms, holding her tightly. “He makes you so angry, you’d go back and kill him if you could?” he asked.

“No.” Belle shook her head. “I already hit him in the face,” she said, leaning her head back to look at him. “It was when he took the shawl, and I went to get it back. He had me trapped below decks. I used an oar and busted him in the head, so I could get away.”

Rumple chuckled. “You continue to amaze me,” he whispered, kissing her brow.

Belle gave him a little sad face. “I don’t want to be angry every time he’s around.” Whenever Hook was near, she had this overwhelming urge to pummel him for all that he’d done to hurt her. Now, she wasn’t entirely sure all of it was coming from her.

“Then perhaps you forgive him not for his sake, but for your own peace of mind.” It was an odd piece of advice coming from Rumplestiltskin – the man who savored holding a grudge. He wouldn’t stand idly by and watch these negative emotions destroy Belle’s beautifully loving heart.

“I’ll work on it,” Belle mumbled. Then she asked, “What are we going to do about Zelena? Should we help…?”

“Let Regina deal with her green-skinned sister. We have our own problems to deal with at the moment. What sort of state will Bae be in when he’s found?” Rumple pondered. He needed to engage Belle’s brilliant brain and shift her focus away from the anger that was threatening to engulf her.

“What if he’s under a sleeping curse?” Belle asked in response.

“To bring the Dark One back a life must be given. So, if he unknowingly gave his life, then…” Rumple said, trailing off.

“The sleeping curse would freeze him in a single moment of time between life and death,” Belle finished.

“Then that would mean he has the missing half of my heart,” Rumple replied.

“And I gave you half of mine so you could wake him,” Belle said following the logical train of thought to its natural conclusion.

“We must have been ready when the curse finally brought us here,” Rumple muttered. Zelena must have breached the defenses somehow, or the curse managed to break through. Either way wasn’t encouraging.

**FARMHOUSE:**

Zelena walked down the hall in the quaint little house on the outskirts of town. She chose to hide within its walls while she masqueraded as a mid-wife to the insipid Snow White and her dimwitted Prince Charming. Each time she was around them, she wanted to gag. They were obnoxious but infinitely more tolerable that her sister – Regina. The one who got everything while she got nothing. She was thrown away like yesterday’s garbage and made to feel lower than dirt everyday of her life. Soon, she would have it all and Regina wouldn’t even exist.

Zelena opened the back-bedroom door where a daybed was set up. Poor, sleeping Baelfire was stuck in his perpetual sleeping state. Even if Rumplestiltskin managed to wake his son, the boy would still die. She was holding on to him for insurance. When the time was right, she would deliver him back to his father just in time to watch him die. “You are going to crush the Dark One’s heart and break his spirit,” she said gleefully, brushing back some of his hair.

**PAWNSHOP:**

Belle had been left to her own devices while Rumple went to link up with Hook and search for Baelfire. She let him go with a kiss and words of encouragement. While he was gone, she was in the back, searching through all of his books for various spells that might come in handy when Zelena inevitably brought the fight to their door. She was idly flipping through pages, not really seeing anything that would catch her attention. Then, as she turned to the next page, a spell caught her eye. It was one used for imprisonment – turning an enemy to stone, forcing them to relive their life over and over until they learned some moral lesson. The spell seemed simple enough. She would need a piece of marble reduced to dust, a small pouch, and a few binding herbs.

Belle found a few things she would need at the shop and what she couldn’t find, she knew she would be able to get from his workshop at home. Without even thinking about it, she gathered her items up and transported herself home. Down in the basement, she found the last two ingredients. She set to work combing the parts of her binding spell that she would hold as a last resort against Zelena. If she didn’t have to use it, then she would tuck it away, and forget about it.

Belle took the piece of white marble and set it on a metal saucer. Calling on her magic, she transformed it into a pile of dust. She picked the little plate up and tipped the powder into the bag. Lastly, she drew a binding rune on the front of the bag, and she was finished. She had just tucked the pouch into her pants pocket when a crashing sound caught her attention. It came from the house. Disappearing in a swirl of blue smoke, she appeared inside and saw a creature tearing through the living room. Reacting on instinct, she threw out her right hand and a pulse of magic knocked the creature through the bay window.

In the next second, crimson smoke appeared beside Belle bringing Rumple to her. “What the hell was that?” she asked, turning to him.

Rumple had felt Belle’s panic clear across town, deep in the woods by the wishing well. He went there to clear his mind and to stand in the exact spot where he had brought magic to Storybrooke. The moment she felt fear, he abandoned his ruminations and went to her. She was standing in the midst of wreckage, her hand raised and a flying monkey making its escape. “You scared it away,” he said in pride.

“One of Zelena’s minions I assume,” Belle stated, huffing in annoyance. If she had been conflicted about using the binding powder on the witch before, she wasn’t anymore.

“She’s trying to provoke us,” Rumple responded in a growling tone.

“What if she’s doing this because she has Baelfire?” Belle asked with a small trickle of fear in her voice. Unconsciously, her hand covered the bag concealed in her pocket.

“Then she’s in for more of a fight than she bargained for,” Rumple swore, snarling. His gaze flicked to Belle’s hand concealing something in her pocket. Had she made a plan of her own while left alone for a while? To distract his mind from spinning in too many different circles, he pressed his lips to the side of her head, bringing her in against his body.

**DARK CASTLE:**

**ONE MONTH BEFORE THE SECOND CURSE:**

After the events of the truth spell, Rumplestiltskin and Belle had made the choice to spend time working on their relationship, on talking, and leaving their intimate needs to simmer in the background. Sleeping apart from her for months had tested the limits of his control. She had too much to deal with learning how to handle the magic she now had. His patience was getting a thorough workout – again. The morning after the truth spell, they had woken to find that Belle had somehow taken the dagger inside her body. She explained the dream to him, and he had two choices in front of him. He could either accept what happened or find some way to undo it. It was easier to accept things as they were and learn to move forward.

Rumple had found himself up on the top of the southern tower, spending more and more time where he made his confessions. His gaze was set off in the distance, seeing as far as the Dark Forest would allow. The land of magic and fairytales seemed peaceful enough this evening. Yet, appearances could be deceiving. Zelena was out there. Leaning on the stone edge, he sighed forcing himself to stop worrying. Tonight, he and Belle were going to have a romantic dinner. He wanted his mind in the here and now for her.

Rumple left the tower, appearing on the grounds near where he kept a rose garden. Using his power, he conjured a brightly colored tent with a small table for two off to one side near a fire pit of blue colored stones. He set the table with fine china, a decanter of red wine, and a single red rose set in a simple bronze vase in the center of the table. On the left side of the large tent, he had thought about conjuring a bed, but he stopped himself. He didn’t want to be presumptuous about where the night would take them. So, as not to leave the left side barren, he conjured a lounge with tapestries of unicorns, dragons, and knights riding off to battle. Lastly, he added a phonograph, setting it to play a delicate piano melody.

In the castle, Belle sat at the vanity applying a light pink lip tint to finish off her soft make-up. The dress she had was very different than what she normally wore during the day. It was a long silk dress of a soft gold that draped over her body, hinting at the curve of her hips and the swell of her breasts. The back was a crisscross of thin silken gold straps that held the dress on her securely. Turning her back to the mirror, she saw the dagger along the back of her neck and down her spine. The blade had chosen her the night they revealed their deeply concealed truths.

The next morning, Belle immediately showed him what had happened, and he hadn’t reacted the way she thought – the way she expected – him to. Rumple accepted her as the guardian and immediately set about teaching her how to control the magic the dagger had gifted to her. After that, she had felt out of place in her own skin. Rumple became infinitely more tender, patient, and understanding while she found her footing again. The Dark One was a feared master of magic, but with the dagger, he was also a slave to whomever wielded it. She accepted the blade as a way of protecting him from those who would wish to control him.

Belle stood up and removed the pins from her hair, letting it tumble down her back and over her shoulders. She was nearly ready to join Rumple for their romantic dinner when the sound of flapping reached her ears. Searching for the source, she saw what looked like a folded scrap of paper coming her way. She snatched it out of the air and saw it was a little origami crane. Belle unfolded it and saw a message from Rumple. He was inviting her to join him out in the rose garden. Before she left, she smoothed out the paper and tucked it under the frame of her vanity mirror.

Belle gave herself one last look in the mirror, smiling at the little magical note again. She deemed herself ready for dinner. Then in a swirl of blue smoke she vanished. Seconds later, she appeared in a tent where Rumple was waiting for her. He looked so dashing in knee high black boots, black breeches, a white open collar shirt, gold vest, and a blue satin frock coat with gold cuffs. “Wow…” she said softly. The glowing candles dotted about the tent added the right amount of romantic ambiance. She was overcome with the attention he put into this night.

Rumple placed his hand over his heart, looking her up and down. “You are a vision,” he replied just as softly. Her dress looked to be something out of a 40’s or 50’s movie. One her, it looked spectacularly gorgeous. Holding out his hand to her, he let his love for her fill his eyes. She was glowing – inside and out. In all the years he’d been alive, he’d never met a woman like her.

“I wanted to look a little different for you tonight,” Belle replied as she took his hand, being drawn in against him. He arms draped over his shoulders, her fingers playing with strands of his hair.

“It doesn’t matter what you wear or don’t wear,” Rumple giggled, “you will always be radiant to me.” She kissed him sweetly, lingering with her lips pressed to his. “Shall we eat?”

Belle backed away, a blush coloring her cheeks. “Yes, dinner first.”

A few hours had gone by while they held a leisurely conversation about their time in Storybrooke. Rumple had used it as a way of putting Belle at ease. These past few months had been difficult for her as she tried to grow accustomed to the magic running through her. It was a gift from the blade she had become the guardian of. She had been remarkable before and all the magic she had now only enhanced who she was in his eyes. Belle was the love of his life – whether with magic or without. The fact she had power now was only one more thing they could share and have it be uniquely theirs. “I always knew you would have perfect magical aptitude,” he said, giving voice to his thoughts.

“Really?” Belle asked, surprised by his comment. She set her goblet down, leaning back in her seat. While he was away – before the curse – she would read through the multitude of spell books he had on hand. Magic had always fascinated her but seeing what he did with it kept her from applying that curiosity into practical application.

“Yes, you managed to control your magic faster than any I’ve ever seen – myself included,” Rumple answered. On the night he became the Dark One, there had been so much power flowing through him, he thought he would combust. It scared him and seduced all at the same time. When he returned to his village, it wasn’t magic he used to slaughter those soldiers. It was the blade. After a while, through shear force of will, he found a way to channel it through his rage and thus his magic was born.

“I think it was your patience more than anything that helped. These last months I haven’t been entirely comfortable in my own skin. You let me find my way without bullying me, and given the fact you don’t coddle anyone, that’s saying something.” Belle got up from her chair and went to him. She settled herself in his lap, draping her arms over his shoulders with his arms wrapping around her waist, holding her securely. On the other side of the tent, she traded the lounge for a luxurious bed with silk sheets, soft furs, and feather pillows. “I wanted to wait until I felt like me again,” she said.

Rumple chuckled. “Now the dress makes sense, not that I’m complaining,” he said, placing a little kiss to her jaw. She was intoxicating to him, capable of robbing him of his senses.

“I want you to make love to me… slowly,” Belle purred, leaning his back before kissing him deeply. She shamelessly moaned into his mouth.

Rumple reluctantly broke the seal of their lips. He conjured a velvet box, handing it to her before they went any further and before he lost himself completely in the splendor of her body. “Will you marry me?” he asked sweetly. He’d been looking for the right moment to propose to her – and the right moment was now.

Belle didn’t hesitate. “Yes!” she exclaimed and opened the box. The ring inside was silver with a blue diamond set between two gold roses. She took it out and immediately slipped it on her left ring finger. A perfect fit.

Rumple kissed her as he stood up, carrying her over to the bed. “In the old days, peasants couldn’t always be married by a man of the cloth, so they would take a length of ribbon, wrapping either end around their hands as a way to bind their lives together. Given who I am, no priest in their right mind would come to our door.” He set her on top of the grey fur, kissing her again. “I want you to be my wife,” he purred. Each word he spoke, his lips touched hers.

“And I want you for my husband,” Belle replied. She used her magic – more and more comfortable doing so – she produced a gold silk ribbon. Sitting up next to him, she held out one end to him, waiting for him to accept it. When he did, she started to wind her half – meeting him in the middle. He nodded for her to stop, so there were a few inches between their fingers. They were wasting no time in joining their lives together.

“I, Rumplestiltskin, vow to love you through this life and into the next. I will be your strength, your protection, and your partner. My body, heart and soul will only ever belong to you forever,” he swore. Magic made the ribbon around his fingers start to glow.

“I, Belle, vow to love you through this life and into the next. I will be your strength, your protection, and your partner. My body, heart and soul will only ever belong to you forever,” she repeated after him and her half started to glow as well.

Leaning in, Rumple kissed her again – slowly and sweetly. When they parted, the ribbon was gone. Around their index, middle, ring, and pinkie fingers were gold bands. They turned their left hands this way and that, the iridescent bands catching the light. “Wonders never cease,” he whispered, touching his forehead to hers. This was the happiest he could ever remember being.

Belle smirked. Their magic always produced the most wonderful surprises. He took her hand, placing a kiss to each band. “True love is the greatest magic of all,” she whispered gaining his attention. She stood up, moving in front of him while he remained seated on the edge of the bed. Without a moment’s hesitation, she ripped out her heart, and split it.

“Belle….” Rumple started to speak but one look from her silenced him.

“Shh…” Belle shook her head returning half of her heart to her chest. Motioning to his heart with her head, she waited for Rumple. She had enough love in her heart for the both of them.

Trust was not the first instinct Rumple possessed. Yet, when he was with Belle, he did nothing but trust her. Everything that had happened had been for the better. Quietly, he removed his heart, handing it her. He watched as she joined the two halves together, pressing, using magic to reform his heart. Rumple doubled over groaning in discomfort, his right hand covering the space where his heart would’ve been, feeling the pressure in his chest one second and in the next it was gone. When he looked in the palm of her hand, he saw his heart – half black and half red.

“My love for you has always been true and over the last few months, I’ve felt it grow, I felt it fill me with power and purpose. I have enough love in my heart to give you half so that you’ll always carry it with you,” Belle said as she returned the now whole heart to his chest.

Rumple clutched at his chest again. The warmth of her love spread through him; he could never remember feeling something as all-encompassing as it before. Looking up at her again, he breathed unevenly for a few minutes and he knew he had tears in his eyes. “I knew you loved me, but I never knew how deeply…”

Belle took his hand from his chest and placed it against hers. “It’s only gotten stronger,” she said. “I will love you until my last breath.” Kissing him, she allowed him to take her to the bed beneath him and they did was newlyweds did – made love into the wee hours of the morning.

**TBC....**


	5. Chapter 5

**STORYBROOKE:**

**PRESENT DAY:**

Regina was on her usual morning walk through town, trying to shake off the events of the night before. She had fought her sister and it ended in a stalemate. Regina hated it. She rounded the corner, intent on going to Granny’s, when she spied Belle sitting on a bench, casually relaxed, staring off into the distance. Pulled towards the enigmatic young woman, she stood, motioning to the open space. “May I sit?” she asked.

Belle sat up, draping her right leg over her left, she nodded. “Good morning, Regina,” she said politely. “What can I do for you?” she inquired, turning slightly to face the former Evil Queen. Before, she might have felt a sliver of fear sitting in the presence of the formidable woman. Now, she felt capable of taking anything the Queen could dish out.

“You seem different since we’ve come back,” Regina pointed out. She couldn’t exactly put her finger on it, but Belle was changed. It wasn’t the hair or the disturbingly eerie suit she wore that matched the ones Gold favored. No, it was something else.

“Do I?” Belle asked innocently. “I don’t feel changed, I feel free,” she said with a smile. It was true she was different. She was no longer that scared young woman who was locked away in a tower. She had power and the love of the most feared man in all the realms. Perhaps what Regina sensed – calling it difference – was that Belle was finally the woman she was meant to be.

“Where’s your dark paramour this morning? Crushing someone’s heart, perhaps?” Regina mused a little more wickedly than she had meant it. Thinking back on those days with Rumplestiltskin, she found she missed the attention he threw her way. Often times, he did it to infuriate her, but there was always a lesson hidden amongst his torturing.

“He could be,” Belle responded as nonchalantly as she could, “or he could be watching you talking to me right now. You know how possessive he can be, especially where I’m concerned. He only wants to protect me from anyone who would wish me harm.” Idly, she rubbed her left thumb over her index, as if playing with a phantom ring.

“Your lover always knows more than he shares with anyone, you included, and it would be in his best interest to help with Zelena. My sister isn’t just a problem for me, or this town, but for him as well,” Regina stated. She added a touch of a threat just to hold Belle’s interest. If there was one thing that young girl couldn’t stand, it was Rumple being threatened by anyone. She had this annoying habit of coming to his defense.

“Ah,” Belle said, nodding her head. “Would it really be in his best interest… or yours? What’s the matter, Regina, can’t put one errant sibling in her place? You need your teachers help?” she asked with a touch of darkness to her voice. It was a tone she had heard from Rumple many times, and she was thankful she paid attention to all of his posturing and grandiose flourishes. It helped her to construct a mask to wear in front of the Evil Queen. Getting up, she buttoned her royal blue suit jacket and then put her hands in her pants pockets. “If you want something from my _lover_ , then you ask him yourself. I won’t be your messenger, Your Majesty.” Leaning down, Belle whispered venomously, “You lost your chance to make an example out of me when I escaped the asylum.”

“Bookworm has bite,” Regina snarled, rising to her feet.

“I have more than bite,” Belle assured her. She turned and started to walk away. The warm weight of the dagger along her spine gave her a warning that Rumple was nearby.

“Be careful, Belle, or he’ll corrupt you too,” Regina warned.

“We could all use a little corruption now and then,” Belle replied, laughing lightly. She continued on her way, walking around the corner where she found Rumple waiting for her. He had a wicked little glint in his eye that she’d come to know as him being thoroughly pleased with himself. “You were right, she did come to me,” she said quietly, shaking off the dark persona she had adopted for the morning. It was a little unsettling how easy it was for her to tap into the darker inclinations that seemed to be inside everyone.

“Of course, I was,” Rumple replied with a smirk of amusement. “I’m proud of how well you handled her. You have picked up a few of my…”

“Bad habits?” Belle asked, cutting in with a smirk of her own.

“You were walking a fine line back there, and did it with ease,” Rumple replied, offering his arm to her. Through all of this, she hadn’t really had time to herself – except for those moments where he reluctantly left her alone. It was time for her to unwind and do something she truly enjoyed. As they walked, he felt her relax. She knew where he was leading her.

Soon, the library came into view and Belle felt a tendril of tension inside her release. “Rumple…?” she asked carefully.

“I think you need some time with your books,” Rumple replied. “It’s been a while since you were here, losing yourself in fantastical tales.” Stopping at the front door, he took her hands in his. “You need time for yourself and getting this place ready to be opened is just the medicine you need,” he said gently.

“You’re not planning on doing something dark and unforgivable today, are you?” Belle asked suspiciously, raising her left eyebrow.

“If I was, I think you would sense it,” Rumple replied. “No, I’m planning on having a little chat with Regina about our Zelena problem.”

“So, you’ve decided we are getting involved,” Belle responded.

“If you’re right and she does have Bae in her possession, then she’s planning something that does concern us all. By the end of today, we’ll have to pick a side, but we’ll only do that together.” Rumple lifted her left hand and kissed her knuckles. “I’ll see you in a little while,” he promised and then vanished.

Belle placed her lips to the same spot where his had touched on the back of her hand. Then, knowing that he was right, she opened the door of the library and walked inside. She turned on the light, looking around, deciding where she should start. Last year she had nearly had this place ready to open and then chaos happened. She was swept up in insanity, her beloved books all but forgotten.

Walking through the stacks, Belle saw books on the floor, books strew about open as if someone was searching for something. Moving further into the library, Belle came to a stop when the bane of everyone’s current existence appeared. “Zelena… can’t read a CLOSED sign?” she asked sarcastically.

“I took it as an option, really,” Zelena said with a shrug. “This was a nice place, pity you never got it open.” She stepped over a few of the books she had haphazardly left on the floor and then just to be wicked, she kicked one towards the little maid.

“What do you want, Zelena?” Belle snarled. As much as it pained her to do so, she left the book on the floor at her feet. She wasn’t going to take her eyes off the witch.

“The dagger. Give it to me now, and I’ll let you live long enough to see me crush his heart,” Zelena demanded.

“Ah,” Belle mouthed, nodding her head. The blade along her spine heated with rage. No one made demands of a Dark One – or the dagger. Using the element of surprise, she lashed out, trapping Zelena in a magical hold, bringing the witch to her knees. “You can’t have it,” she stated in a deadly calm voice. She saw Zelena struggle and the pendant around her neck glow with power. Belle threw more of her magic into the witch, keeping her where she was. “I’d think twice if I were you, dearie,” she said, her voice echoing remnants of Rumple from the Enchanted Forest.

Zelena tried to fight free with all of her power. She didn’t understand how one little insignificant maid could have such strength to keep her in place. “I’ll get you for this,” she vowed, her voice full of venom and hatred.

Belle shook her head, tightening her hold. Her nails were cutting into her palm, the pain was trying to get her to stop, but the anger of the blade was keeping her going. “You don’t get to dictate terms here. If you thought I would tremble and quake with fear, you’re sadly mistaken. Poor Zelena, so unloved and unwanted, she has to terrorize others to make herself feel important. You have to chase a man who doesn’t want you. Rumple will never love you like you want him to. Pathetic…”

Zelena screamed a full-throated roar of rage.

Belle kept her magical hold tight, but inside, she was shaking. She was tapping into a darkness that only belonged to Rumplestiltskin. If she didn’t stop, she might do something truly unforgivable. As she had Zelena on her knees before her, she found she didn’t want to stop.

**MAYOR’S OFFICE:**

Rumple appeared in Regina’s office in a crimson swirl of smoke. “That’s the last time you go to Belle to get my attention,” he stated in a commanding tone.

“Please, just come on in,” Regina mumbled, rolling her eyes. “If I went to you first, you’d make me jump through hoops before giving me what I wanted. Your involvement. Zelena is a problem for us both.”

“So, you’ve told Belle,” Rumple responded, waving his hand in the air.

“Wow… you never really let her out of your sight, do you?” Regina asked in an astounded manner. “That’s not a good thing…” She waited for one of his scathing barbs to be hurled her way, but he wasn’t paying attention to her. His hand was on his chest and he had a stricken look on his face. “What is it?”

“It’s Belle…” Rumple looked at Regina, reacting instantly. He used his magic to return them to the library. Once there, what he saw horrified even him. “Belle!” he shouted, stepping between her and Zelena.

Regina didn’t need to be told what to do. She immediately went and took control of her sister. “Don’t think about it, greenie,” she snarled.

Rumple moved in close to Belle, his hands immediately going to her face, making sure her gaze linked with his. “Sweetheart, let go,” he said. Her power filled the room, but it wasn’t warm and gentle as he’d come to expect. No, this was something close to the magic he used. Dark and terrible. “Belle, this isn’t you,” his voice took on a pleading tone.

Belle exhaled sharply, her right hand relaxing, releasing the tight fist she had made to control Zelena. Looking into Rumple’s eyes, she saw the horror of what she was about to do reflected in his gaze. It was a bucket of cold water being poured over her. “Guess I’m not handling that fine line as well as you thought,” she replied in a shaky voice.

Not caring that Regina and Zelena was there watching, Rumple placed his left hand on Belle’s chest, feeling the magical pulse of her heart just under his palm. When their skin touched, they were linked in a way no one would ever understand He used that bond now to reach through her wave of anger. He channeled it out of her and into him. That was his rage. That was his bloodlust. “Focus on our love, let it guide you back to the light. Feel its warmth filling you. Feel it taking away all that anger, all that resentment. Let it fall away from you.”

Belle closed her eyes, breathing out slowly. The longer Rumple held his hand over her heart, the easier it was becoming to feel like herself again. She had let her instincts over, and in a single second she could have done something there was no coming back from. Each time she exhaled, she felt more of that anger leaving her body and returning to where it came from – to Rumple. He waited patiently until she was herself again.

“Ugh, I think going to be sick,” Zelena grumbled.

“Shut up,” Regina snapped, flexing her power enough to make her sister groan in discomfort.

“What was I about to do?” Belle asked in a harsh whisper. Within minutes she was back to feeling like her old self. There was only that residual trace of anger inside her that she had already. It was small and inconsequential once again.

“Nothing that I couldn’t stop,” Rumple stated reassuringly. For days he couldn’t explain why he was feeling the loss of his anger and then Belle had nearly done something to Hook. She was drawing on his anger somehow – whether it was through the blade or through the connection of their hearts. Either way, he knew he had to recall it, or it would force her to do something she would never come back from.

“How was I able to become that angry?” she asked, hugging him. Rather than look at either Regina or Zelena, she hid her face in the side of Rumple neck. She breathed in his scent, letting it drive away the guilt – for now.

“You must have needed it,” Rumple responded carefully. His right hand rubbed up and down her back until he felt her shaking subside. She had had her first real taste of the darkness and it horrified her. From here on out, he would have to keep a tight hold on his anger and make sure it didn’t leave him again.

“You can have it back,” Belle mumbled, her lips touched the side of his neck and the collar of his black shirt. Rumple’s chest shook with a light, dark laugh. After a few more minutes of being held by him, she pulled back and took his hand. She felt more like herself again. Since being back, since learning she had magic, she hadn’t felt comfortable in her own skin – except when she was with Rumple. He made her feel calm and in control. It was frustrating to know that she had learned all of this already back in their land. The missing year had taken more of a toll than she realized until this moment.

“You got this?” Regina asked Gold, reaching down to take hold of Zelena’s upper arm. “There’s a lovely little cell waiting for you,” she gloated.

Zelena knocked her sister back. “I don’t think so, dear,” she said sharply. Green smoke enveloped her, transporting her to safety.

Regina snarled in anger. “Are we that annoying when we just poof into thin air?” she wondered sarcastically.

“Yes,” Belle responded with hesitating. To win arguments with her back at the castle when she was the maid, Rumple would simple vanish leaving her to curse the space he had vacated.

“I guess our choice is made,” Rumple muttered. Then to Regina he said, “If my help is what you seek, then you shall have it.” He looked at Belle and she nodded in agreement. They had to put a stop to Zelena once and for all.

“Are we going to address the ogre in the room, or what?” Regina asked, side stepping getting exactly what she wanted from Rumple. “When did you girl get magic?”

“During the missing year,” Belle automatically said. It wasn’t a lie, per se.

“Are you sure? You demonstrated a lot of skill for someone with no memory,” Regina pointed out.

“I guess I was reacting out of instinct,” Belle surmised.

“Oh, that wasn’t instinct. That was rage,” Regina argued.

“Enough,” Rumple demanded. “Picking at Belle and her magical abilities does not help us with our current problem,” he snapped. “Bring the Charming’s to the shop later this evening and we’ll talk.”

“I’m not your messenger,” Regina scoffed.

“Do it, Regina,” Rumple bellowed. It felt good to have his anger back to fuel his magic. The emotional peace he’d known for nearly a week had been nice, but it had belonged to Belle. She needed it more than he did. He hadn’t realized the full extent of having half of her heart inside of him. It made him wonder if Belle considered all the ramifications of what she’d done. She probably did and thought it was worth it.

**PAWNSHOP:**

Belle sat on a stool in the back of the shop with a glass of whiskey untouched on the bench in front of her. Rumple was rummaging through some things, looking for a specific item, leaving her alone for just a moment. Without thinking about it, she reached for the dagger, removing it from her body. She thought having the weight of it in her hand would change the way she felt that it would diminish the link she had to Rumple. The magical tether that bound her to him was still there – still strong. So, it wasn’t the dagger. A shard of light cut across the fingers of her left hand, casting a subtle glow around four gold bands – one on each finger. Curiously, she moved the blade of the dagger over it and the bands became clearer to her eyes. “Rumple…” she called to him.

Compelled from the front, Rumple returned to the back of the shop. Belle held his dagger over her left hand, shining light on four gold bands across her fingers. “Curiouser and curiouser,” he mumbled walking closer. He held out his hand for the knife and she gave it to him freely. Rumple placed his left hand next to hers, moving the blade over his fingers. He too had four gold bands around each digit.

“What are they?” Belled asked when he kept silent while handing the dagger back to her. She returned it to its resting place as she waited for him to answer.

“Evidence of a binding ceremony…” Rumple said as he took her hand, pulling her up. He kissed her sweetly, but with a touch of desire. “Mrs. Gold,” he added.

“We’re married?” Belle smiled broadly. She touched each band gently, wishing she could remember.

“It appears so,” Rumple answered happily. “Given who I am, I can imagine we opted to do a handfasting ritual rather than try and bribe a man of the cloth to come to the Dark Castle.” It would be one more good memory they would reclaim once the curse was broken.

“However, we chose to do it, I couldn’t imagine be married to anyone else,” Belle said sweetly. This news made what she nearly did earlier somehow make sense. All this time she thought it was the dagger that had given her this link to Rumple. Taking his left hand in hers, she concentrated on the bands, bringing them to the surface. Once they were clearly visible, the tether between them solidified. Before there was the sense of Rumple, often confusing his emotions for her own. Now, there was no confusion. She could tell what he was feeling, and it mirrored what was inside her.

Rumple leaned in, claiming her lips in a passionately loving kiss. He was about to take them home when the little bell over the door jingled. “Déjà vu,” he grumbled. When Belle frowned lightly, he could see her sliding back into guilt and despair. “Hey, don’t let what happened in the library weigh you down. The anger you felt was mine. It’s what I always have lingering just below the surface.”

“I thought it was the dagger doing that to me,” Belle confessed. “Even as you drew your anger back, freeing me from its clutches, I felt…”

“You made a mistake by taking this burden on?” Rumple asked without feeling hurt. The dagger was a curse in and of itself.

“Now I know differently,” Belle replied. She brought her left hand up, caressing his cheek with the back of her fingers. “How do you think this happened?” she asked, meaning bands on their fingers.

“If you used your magic to conjure the ribbon, then it was probably a combination of our love, our vows, and our magic that did this. It wasn’t just you,” Rumple answered, caressing her cheek in return. “If I didn’t want to be this deeply connected to you, it wouldn’t have happened.”

“You do want this?” Belle questioned, draping her arms over his shoulders, cupping the back of his head.

“I want all of you,” Rumple clarified.

_“Gold? You in here?_ ”

Rumple rolled his eyes. “Why do they ask that? It is my shop…” He walked away with Belle’s amusement bubbling inside of him. She was at his side in an instant, her hand taking his as they walked out together.

**ENCHANTED FOREST:**

**DARK CASTLE BEFORE THE SECOND CURSE:**

Nearly a full month of matrimonial bliss was more than Belle had ever hoped for. During the night of their wedding, they had discovered that their combined magic had done more than married them. It had created strong bond between them – a way to find each other when they needed to and a way to assess the emotional state of the other. It had been a little rocky the first few days, but they quickly found their footing. At one point, they had gone a whole day without so much as speaking to each other while still being in constant contact. They had communicated with little glances, soft smiles, and emotional impressions. Even now, she could feel deep contentment from her dark husband. She leaned over and kissed his right shoulder loudly.

Rumple reclined on the long table in the main hall, looking up at the high ceiling. He and Belle had to satisfy their amorous hunger for the other and the table had been the nearest horizontal surface. With his head resting on a pillow, he turned to look at her. She was resting on her stomach, her chin against his chest and the black sheet draped haphazardly over her backside. She was a tantalizing sight to behold. “I won’t be able to look at this table in quite the same way again,” he teased. Her cheeks turned a bright red, and she touched her forehead to his arm, hiding her face for a few minutes. Of course, he already had fond memories of this table owing from all the times she felt inclined to sit on it.

Belle brought her giggles under control enough to look at him. “It’s quickly becoming one of my favorite places,” she responded. Moving astride him again, she pulled him up, ready to claim his lips as her hunger roused, needing him again. Moments later, she felt him change.

Rumple was more than ready to sate his wife’s ravenous carnal hunger, but a curious sense overtook him. Belle felt it too. Together they looked out one of the massive windows of the great hall, and there in the distance ominous black clouds were engulfing the landscape. “We’ve run out of time,” he said softly.

“What is that?” Belle asked, her eyes still fixed on the window and what lay beyond it.

“The Dark Curse. Someone foolishly cast it,” Rumple snarled. All thoughts of being intimate with his wife were pushed aside. “We have to wake Bae now.”

Without needing to be told, Belle used her magic to clothe them both and they left the center of the table. The sheets and pillows vanished as they prepared to get down to business. “Are you sure your heart is ready for this? We agreed to give you a month to grow accustomed to…”

“All your love beating inside me? I know what we agreed, but someone cast the Dark Curse, and now we have no choice,” Rumple responded. “Sweetheart, I have to risk it.”

“I know,” Belle replied cupping his cheek with her hand. “Go get him and I’ll wait here.”

Rumple kissed her seconds before he vanished.

Belle lightly touched her lips, savoring the feeling of his kiss. She was lost in the moment and completely unprepared for the hall doors to burst open. Turning to meet the intruder, she was shocked to see the green-skinned Wicked Witch – Zelena. “How the hell did you get in here?!” she demanded.

Zelena was in no mood for the mouthy maid. Using her magic, she brought Belle to her knees. She would only have seconds to get her under control if she had any hope of standing against Rumplestiltskin. He’d become too soft that he wouldn’t risk hurting his precious little servant. Grabbing a fist full of Belle’s hair, she yanked her head back and whispered, “Now, be a good little girl and call out to your master.”

Belle didn’t have to yell, not with her link to Rumple. He already knew she was in trouble. “You’ll wish you never burst through those doors,” she seethed. The witch yanked again, and this time Belle yelped.

“Hurt her again, and I’ll skin you alive,” Rumple threated appearing in a plume of crimson smoke.

“I don’t think you have it in you anymore,” Zelena taunted. She pulled harder, exposing the line of the little maid’s throat.

Belle let her body go still, pushing aside the pain and pressure in her head. Rather than reach for the dagger along her back, she conjured a small knife she could use to cut her hair. She and Rumple had agreed to keep her magic a secret for as long as possible. There would be no sense in giving it away while the witch was around. Looking to Rumple she silently asked him to keep distracting Zelena.

Rumple produced a fireball in the palm of his hand. “Really? You think I won’t hurl this at you?” He didn’t dare glance at his wife, trusting her to make her move when she needed to. “See, this is why I stopped training you in the first place. Your ridiculous jealousy….”

That was the moment Belle struck. She sliced the knife through her hair, cutting Zelena’s arm in the process. Her scream of surprise and rage echoed all around the hall. Belle crossed the distance between her and Rumple, immediately taking his hand. With their skin touching, they amplified each other’s power with the dagger as the conduit. They were about to go on the offensive, when darkness enveloped the castle – the curse kept at bay by the shield charms Rumple still had raised. Looking at him, she whispered, “Lower the wards.”

“Are you insane?” Rumple hissed back.

“We’ll go to Storybrooke and we’ll forget… but so will Zelena,” Belle said hastily. It was taking a risk, but they had no other choice.

Rumple looked back over his shoulder. Bae was upstairs, ready to be woken from his long sleep. He chose to trust his wife. Deactivating the magic wards around his castle, Rumple let the curse inside. He pulled Belle close, kissing her. “See you on the other side,” he promised. The blackness enveloped them.

**TBC....**


	6. Chapter 6

**PAWNSHOP:**

The morning had progressed at a leisurely pace, but when the afternoon came, things turned hectic. Zelena – sore over Belle’s attack on her – had struck out at Regina, forcing the Evil Queen to confront her. Before she could rush headlong into danger, she asked Robin to go into town and get Rumplestiltskin. He hadn’t wanted to leave her side, but she insisted, and he felt he had no choice but to do as his lady wished. Walking through the door, he called out, “Gold? Are you in here?”

“Well, well, well… If it isn’t the thief,” Rumple mused darkly. The last time he’d seen the thief had been when he missed killing him in the Enchanted Forest.

“Rumple,” Belle scolded him, coming into view. “Robin! It’s so nice to see you,” she said going to him. There was no hesitation in giving him a little friendly hug. Stepping back, she asked, “Is everything okay?”

“No, Regina sent me here to fetch Rumplestitlskin. Zelena’s finally provoked her into attacking her, but she needs your help,” Robin answered, looking at the human looking Dark One.

“We gave our word to help,” Rumple responded, glancing at Belle. She had her hand suspiciously in her pocket – again. “What have you got there, sweetheart?” he asked. They had a little time to spare. Magic could take them anywhere in a blink of an eye.

“A way to stop Zelena,” Belle replied as she removed the pouch from her pants pocket. “I cooked it up weeks ago,” she added, handing it over to her husband. “It won’t do any good unless we neutralize her magic first.”

Rumple handed the pouch back to Belle and said, “Leave that to me and Regina. We’ll bring that witch to heel.”

“Where is she?” Belle asked Robin.

“Holed up in a farmhouse just on the outskirts of town,” Robin answered. “The others are probably already there.”

Rumple made a grand flourish with his hand and said, “Now, so are we.” When the crimson smoke cleared, they were outside, standing in the gravel driveway of an old-style farmhouse. Emma Swan, Prince Charming, and Regina were standing around – almost look like they were doing nothing.

“Took you long enough to get here,” Regina remarked sarcastically.

“Why are you all standing around?” Rumple asked in a growl. He walked over to Regina and was about to walk past her when her hand gripped his arm. Curiously, he reached out his hand, feeling the press of a magical barrier keeping them out.

“That’s why,” Regina stated. “Emma and I tried to break through, but we didn’t have enough power.” Sliding her glance towards Belle, she said, “It’ll take the four of us to bring it down.”

“Let’s do this,” Belle responded without even bothering to deny she had magic. Stepping to Rumple’s side, she took his hand, letting their magic flow freely through them, amplifying their power. At the same time she raised her left hand, Rumple raised his right and they tested the shield for weaknesses.

“It’s hastily constructed, but strong,” Rumple confirmed, glancing at Regina. “Anytime you two want to pitch in, would be great,” he remarked.

Acting in concert with each other, the Savior, the Evil Queen, the Dark One, and Belle all used their magic to collapse the shield charm Zelena had surrounded the farmhouse with. Under the combined might of all of their power the shield crumpled in on itself.

“Regina and I will draw her attention. Belle, you and Miss Swan…” Rumple started to say.

“I know what to do,” Belle said with a small nod of her head.

“Well, that makes one of us,” Emma remarked. She was still getting used to having magic. Normally, she solved her problems with sarcasm, a gun, or a sword – like her father.

“We do our best not to be noticed. With Rumple and Regina antagonizing Zelena, that should be easy,” Belle remarked. That comment earned her a smirk from her husband.

“When we find her, how do we stop her?” Emma asked.

“The pendant she wears is the focus for her power. We snatch off her green neck,” Regina stated with a touch of rueful glee.

Rumple moved close to Belle, taking her hand. “Wait here for now. You’ll know when we need you and Miss Swan.”

Belle brought her free hand up, cupping his cheek. “Go.” The Dark One and the Evil Queen swept into the farmhouse with purpose.

Emma watched; her mouth slightly agape – as it usually was when something her brain couldn’t process happened right in front of her. “It’s still so weird to see the two of you together,” she commented quietly. Turning her back to the door, she watched for any of the flying monkey’s Zelena had under her control. She nodded to her dad and Robin Hood as they started to search the perimeter.

“Why?” Belle asked quizzically. “Is it because he’s older than me?”

“No…” Emma shook her head. “It’s because he’s Mr. Gold.” The man didn’t exactly inspire warm and fuzzy feelings in anyone.

Belle smirked, laughing lightly, and nodding her head. “Rumple is certainly not the man I imagined falling in love with when I was a young girl. And I’m glad,” she said sweetly. “He shows everyone the beast because that’s what you all expect. I’m different, I see the man and the beast.”

*******

Inside the modest little house, Regina and Rumple stayed side by side, ready for an attack. The living room was empty – as was the kitchen. That left the short hall leading to a single bedroom. Rumple went first, his hand on the knob. With a little twist of his wrist, the door opened. The sight inside stopped his heart. Zelena was on the bed next to Bae with her hand in his chest, her fingers around his heart. 

“Come closer and he dies,” Zelena snarled. All her plans had come crumbling down around her. She couldn’t get her hands on Snow White’s baby because of those ridiculous fairy’s interfering. If she couldn’t complete her time travel spell, then she could at least punish Rumplestiltskin for not choosing her.

“You do that and there will be nothing to stop me from slaughtering you,” Rumple snarled.

Zelena squeezed, proving to the Dark One that she was serious.

Rumple felt the pressure in half of his heart in response to her threat. He was careful to keep the pain off of his face. “What is it you want, Zelena?” he asked. “Perhaps we can make a deal.”

“You think I’m stupid enough to take one of your deals?” Zelena snapped.

“You’re certainly desperate enough,” Regina remarked.

“Do you think you’re in a position to be sarcastic with me?” Zelena snarled at her sister, tensing her hold on Baelfire’s heart. “I will kill him.”

“Because you’re a coward who won’t fight fair,” Regina argued. “Every second you hide behind Neal, is one more second you’re showing how weak you really. What’s a matter, sis? Can’t stand on your own with your magic?” Regina was goading her in the only way she could. Before, she wouldn’t have blinked at Zelena’s threat to kill Neal. Now that she was a mother, she wouldn’t cost Gold the chance to save his son’s life. “Come on, greenie, face me like the witch you are. One on one.”

In a swirl of green smoke, Zelena disappeared with Baelfire as her hostage. She couldn’t pass up the chance to finally beat her sister once and for all. There was a huge barn on the property, perfect for the little showdown where she had planned to enact her time travel spell.

On the porch, Emma and Belle caught a flash of green in the barn. They moved off the deck just as Regina and Rumple came out.

Belle held out her hand to Rumple. His emotions were swirling darkly out of control even under his veneer of calm and control. However, he shook his head no. There was a chance those negative emotions would seep into her again. He was better able to manage his darker inclinations and keep them in check than she could.

Rumple glared at the barn. “She’s got Bae,” he snarled.

This time Belle went to him, gripping his forearm. “We’ll get him back,” she swore.

“We don’t have time for you to hold his hand,” Regina snapped. “I need to go beat my sister into submission.”

Belle looked at Emma. “Go with Regina, and get that pendant if you can,” she said.

“We should go…” Rumple started to follow, but Belle held him back.

“You need to be levelheaded when you go in there and you can’t kill her,” Belle stated fiercely. So, she did the one thing she knew would work. Her hands cupped his face, their skin creating a link between them. She traded her serenity for his blazing anger. Belle could fight off his dark impulses for as long as she needed to contain Zelena.

“Belle, what have you done?” Rumple asked breathlessly. All of a sudden, he wasn’t angry anymore. It was disorienting. In the background, he could hear the sounds of Regina and Zelena fighting each other.

“If you are going to have any hope of waking Bae, you need not to be angry. You need to embrace the love in your heart. I can resist the darkness for as long as I need to.” Belle balled her hands into fists. Their magical bond came with strange benefits and when he woke his son, she would be happy to return his anger to him. Until she could do that, she poured all her energy into one thought. Containing Zelena.

Rumple was careful not to touch Belle. He was so close to waking Bae that he was going to trust his wife’s spur of the moment choice to siphon all of his anger out of him. While she battled his centuries of cultivated rage, he let all of her love fill him. The depth of her faith in him was staggering. Together, while standing a foot apart, they walked into the barn. Regina had Zelena beaten and Emma had the green pendant in her hands.

Belle didn’t hesitate. She walked between both women, all fire and purpose. Zelena backed up but she couldn’t escape. From inside her pocket, she pulled the pouch, throwing it at the witch’s feet. White smoke billowed up, turning Zelena to stone. It all took a matter of seconds.

“What did you do to her?” Regina asked.

“Contained her,” Belle whispered darkly. She walked over to the statue and knocked on it. “Zelena, dear, I know you won’t be able to hear me for long, so I’m going to make this quick. You’re bound in marble and you won’t get out until you learn a basic moral lesson. Wicked doesn’t win. So, you’ll be forced to relive every moment of your life until you’ve understood this. Though, it’s more likely you’ll be driven insane, which is no less than what you deserve.”

“In what world is this a good idea?” Regina asked hastily. She was looking her sister up and down, marginally concerned about what Belle had just done. The one good thing about the little bookworm was her genuine goodness. This – turning Zelena into a lawn ornament – was teetering on the edge of darkness.

“It was that or either you or Rumple killed her. Even the likes of her doesn’t deserve that fate,” Belle responded harshly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Emma moving towards Bae. Before she thought about it, she used her power, knocking the Savior back. This wasn’t like her. This was how Rumple would react. She called back her power, releasing Emma from the strong hold. “You can’t wake him. Only Rumple can,” she said, her voice taking on an edge of anger.

“Excuse me, Miss Swan,” Rumple moved around her. He had no time to waste – not if Bae was to be woken up. Kneeling down next to his son, he gave himself over to the love coursing through him. He let it fill him as he leaned over, pressing his lips to Bae’s forehead. A pulse of true love spread through the barn and out through the town restoring the memories of every citizen.

Bae opened his eyes, sucking in a deep breath of air. His last conscious thought had been one of pain, of knowing he was going to die. He never expected to see his father again. Sitting up, he asked in pure disbelief, “Papa, you saved me?” His hand immediately went to his chest.

“You risked your life to bring me back,” Rumple said as he pulled his son into his arms, holding him close, letting the tears fill his eyes. “I couldn’t let you die, not after everything…”

Bae pulled back, looking around – looking for Belle. She was standing off away from everyone else. He looked at his father and saw the same concern he was feeling. “Give me a few minutes…” he said softly. Automatically, his eyes sought out Emma’s.

Rumple had his memories restored and now he knew why Belle kept ending up with his anger. The morning Zelena had made her way into the castle, he and Belle had done a transference spell. She would end up with his strongest trait – his anger. He ended up with her complete faith. They had done it to free him from his rage so he could use his love and wake his son. Now, it was time to reclaim what rightfully belonged to him. Getting up to go to her, he pulled her into his arms, his lips claiming hers. Crimson and light blue smoke swirled around them returning emotions to the rightful owners. “You won’t ever have to suffer the terrible burden that is my anger again.”

Belle breathed deeply for the first time in two weeks. When the magic cleared, she smiled and said, “That was not fun.” The weight of his anger, the horrible crushing need she felt to do something evil had scared her. Now that she remembered, she understood why it had kept coming back. She did this for Rumple, to give him his best chance to wake Bae. Then, looking around, she saw him standing with Emma. Taking Rumple’s hand, they walked over together. “Told you we’d see you soon,” she spoke, the happiness evident in every word.

Bae breathed out, overcome with so many emotions. “I never doubted you,” he told Belle, but he was looking at his papa while he spoke. Father and son embraced again, the resentments of the past lessening. He could actually see a day in the future where he and his father had a strong relationship again. It was due in large part to Belle’s influence. Looking at her over his papa’s shoulder, he held out his hand to her.

Belle took Baelfire’s hand, letting him pull her into the small little family hug. Rumple’s lips touched the side of her head and in this moment, everything they went through had truly been worth it.

“Not to interrupt, but what are we going to do with my sister?” Regina cut in. She crossed her arms over her chest, impatient to leave. Henry was in town and she had to see him. Now that she remembered the missing year, she was doubly glad that Zelena was encased in stone.

“There’s nothing to do. We leave her here and magically seal the barn closed,” Rumple said after reluctantly letting go of his son. “Gather up the totems and let’s leave this place.”

*****

Charming got his courage back. Regina had her heart returned. The Scarecrow’s brain was safely tucked away in the Queen’s vault until someone figured out how to get to Oz and return it to the witless wonder. Emma and Regina returned to town while Rumple, Belle and Bae appeared at the manor.

Neal looked around the extravagant house seeing a few belongings he recognized. “How did you save me?” he asked, turning back to his father. Neal gathered from the look shared between his papa and Belle that it was a long, involved tale. He distracted himself with waiting to hear the tale. If he didn’t do something, he was going to seek out Emma and Henry. He had to see his son – the child he did all this for.

“After Belle pricked your finger with the spindle, we spent weeks in the library, scouring every book we could get our hands on to find a way to save you,” Rumple answered.

“Six weeks and no answers, I grew discouraged, you could say, but your father found something to help. He split his heart, giving you half, knowing that it was strong enough for the both of you,” Belle said softly.

Bae touched his chest. “So, half of my heart is…”

“It’s not dark,” Rumple quickly clarified. “Belle’s brilliance ensured that. She found a powerful truth telling spell that temporarily lifted the darkness from my heart long enough for me to split it and give it to you.”

“If the darkness returned to you, then how did you wake me?” Neal went over and took a seat in one of the chairs by the door.

Rumplestiltskin pulled out his heart with only a tiny grimace of pain. He went to his son and showed him the dual-colored organ. “Half of my heart is dark, and the other half comes from Belle. She freely game me some of her love, so that I could wake you.”

It wasn’t the heart Bae looked at, but the gold bands around his papa’s fingers. He knew how much his father loved Belle, but he hadn’t actually imagined that love being strong enough for his papa to actually marry her. It certainly pleased him that he was wrong. Belle was good for him.

“She gave me this gift on the night we married. We bound our lives to each other, and united our fates,” Rumple said without hesitation while he returned his heart to his chest. “More than anything, she is the reason you are still here. She is the reason I have another chance to make things right and I won’t waste it Bae.” For now, he was going to leave out details about the transference spell. He could see his son already had enough on his mind. “Go find Emma and Henry. They’re the ones you really want to see right now,” he said knowingly.

“Papa…” Neal said sadly, looking down at the floor. “I should…”

“Be with your son,” Belle spoke up. “We’re not going anywhere. Any other questions you have, we’ll answer, but we’ll do it tomorrow.” Reaching out, she touched his shoulder, squeezing gently.

Neal went to Belle, gathering her up in a hug. “Thank you,” he whispered. He wasn’t just thanking her for heling to save his life, but for also giving him another chance with Emma, another chance to be a father to Henry. She gave him another chance to see the good man his papa could be.

“We’re family now, Bae,” Belle replied, pulling back. “Come home when you’re ready.”

**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this story as I have enjoyed writing it and falling in love with RumBelle all over again.


End file.
